Highguard can make a big difference

Less than a week after its launch, the hero shooter Highguard An experimental 5v5 playlist has already been added to shake things up while continuing to battle rapidly declining player count numbers. After debuting on Steam to just over 100,000 concurrent players, Highguard The platform regularly drops below 10,000 active players at any given time, prompting swift action from developer Wildlight Entertainment.

Release strategy for Highguard It was certainly unorthodox. It was initially revealed as the final major announcement at The Game Awards 2025. The game's marketing has been largely radio-quiet leading up to its January 26 release date, and studio co-founder Dusty Welch recently revealed that the plan Highguard To cast a shadow, to adopt Apex Legends Strategy. When all is said and done, Highguard With great reviews and a large player count, it attracted major attention on Steam after its release. Unfortunately, though, many of these reviews were negative, placing the game at a “mixed” rating on Steam. Only 43% of the game's reviews are positive, putting the game on the back foot immediately.

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All characters in Highguard

Highguard is a challenging PvP shooter arena, and knowing every Warden on the roster will help you get to the top! Check out this complete character guide!

Highguard adds an experimental 5v5 mode as the player count decreases

since the beginning, HighguardThe number of players has dropped, with a 24-hour peak of 13,119 at the time of writing, versus an all-time peak of 97,249 set just six days ago. In recent times Highguard In the patch notes, Wildlight Entertainment has moved quickly to address the criticism and bring back players by adding a new experimental 5v5 raid mode playlist. previously, Highguard was a 3v3-exclusive game, so trying something new could represent an already significant change for the future of the title. The 5v5 mode allows full sides of five, and some balance changes have been made to account for this. Raid now has 10 life instead of 6, and respawns are now slightly longer to allow generators to plant and diffuse. This 5v5 mode is purely experimental, so whether it's here for the long haul remains to be seen. The patch notes state that it's only “for the weekend,” suggesting that gamers will have a very limited time to try it out. Highguard5v5 mode. Wildlight Entertainment reiterates that this is a separate playlist from the standard 3v3 mode, and says “3v3 raids are still there for people who enjoy them.”

A 5v5 game mode for Highguard Makes a lot of sense – some early criticism aimed at the game noted that the maps felt a bit too big for 3v3, prompting many to call for larger lobby sizes. So while it may be a solid step forward, the damage may already be done. gave negative initial reviews HighguardIt's important to remember that first impressions are everything, especially in the increasingly crowded space for live-service sports. These titles have to impress gamers with closure, or they'll abandon them in droves in favor of the countless other direct-to-service offerings out there now. If works for 5v5 use HighguardHopefully it's here to stay.

Shooting enemies on horseback in Highguard (Preview).

Despite the initial struggles, Wildlight Entertainment is far from giving up Highguard. After its release, the developer unveiled an ambitious 2026 Highguard Roadmap, planning tons of free content throughout the year in different episodes. If it can deliver on the paper promises of this roadmap, it's going to be an exciting time. Highguard the fan