Highguard, first impressions of a PvP Raid Shooter that is as chaotic as it is strategic

In an industry where entertainment is full of sequels, and although it demands something new, any original idea faces an uphill battle. Is it a new IP? Complicated. Is it a new studio? Complicated. Are you looking to implement something new? Complicated. Is it a surprise? Complicated. Are there varied characters? Complicated. Today’s world is polarized and seems to be increasingly driven to extremes. Black or white; successful revolution or total failure. It seems that judging something is no longer a nuanced opinion but an all-or-nothing that defines life or death, when it shouldn’t be that way.

Highguard came out of nowhere with an unusual announcement during The Game Awards 2025. It was a game that impressed Geoff Keighley, who decided it would close the ceremony. After that, there was complete silence for almost a month, which was also seen as negative. But what is Highguard? What will it offer? After a play session a few days before its release, here’s what Wildlight Entertainment’s first game has to show.

What is Highguard?

Perhaps you think the video we saw at The Game Awards didn’t show much and left us with more questions than answers, but everything was there. However, after an in-depth presentation and nearly five hours of gameplay, the concept begins to take shape. Highguard combines many aspects of current shooters to present something as structured as it is chaotic.

According to its developers, Highguard is a PVP Raid Shooter in which players are divided into teams of three against three with the goal of attacking and destroying the rival base. Each game follows a set of rules that may sound overwhelming at first but make more sense with each encounter.

Each team begins by choosing their Warden from a selection of eight characters, each with unique abilities and defined roles, such as attack, defense, or support. These characters also have unique abilities that help them in either destruction or infiltration, creating a mix of magic and weapons.

Once the team has been formed, the base to be defended is chosen by vote. There are four bases available, each with advantages and disadvantages depending on its size and structure. At the start of the game, players have one minute to reinforce the base before the protective barrier disappears, giving way to a wide, open battlefield. In this initial phase, the objective is to explore and obtain better weapons and shields that will give them an advantage in combat.

The world is vast, but thanks to mounts ranging from horses and bears to hippogryphs, traveling around is easier. Loot can be found in chests or purchased from a merchant using Vesper, a mineral obtained through exploration and mining, which functions as currency within the game.

Once the time has passed, the location of the Shieldbreaker, a magical sword of great importance to the game, will be announced. Once obtained, the team must carry it to the enemy base to begin the siege. As in Capture the Flag, if the carrier is eliminated, they may drop the weapon, allowing the opposing team to take the offensive.

When the Shieldbreaker reaches the enemy base, the siege begins with a tower that breaks through their shield. Time is of the essence here, as you’ll need to find the two generators in the rival base to plant a bomb. This requires coordination and the use of skills and tools to locate them. Once the bomb is planted, a countdown begins, giving the defending team a chance to stop it. The goal is to reduce the enemy base’s points, either by destroying both generators or by attacking the anchor stone, in an all-or-nothing gamble.

The siege can be avoided if the defending team manages to hold out long enough, causing the attacking base to also lose health points and restart the cycle: repair the base, return to the battlefield, and wait for the Shieldbreaker to respawn. This cycle repeats until there is a winner, with matches lasting anywhere from eight minutes to just over half an hour.

Preparation, chaos, and teamwork

All of the above may sound complex and, to some extent, overwhelming. It’s similar to explaining the rules of football: it seems complicated until you see it and play it. Highguard has a tutorial that explains each of these systems step by step so that players can learn them before entering actual combat. Even so, the tutorial is quite user-friendly compared to what awaits you on the battlefield.

Each battle feels different, at least in these early hours of gameplay. The fact that each base is different and modifies the environment reduces the feeling of constantly repeating the same map. This also means that sometimes certain maps feel extremely large for what they offer, but at the same time, it makes the search for loot and the appearance of the Shieldbreaker happen where you least expect it.

Teamwork is also an essential part of enjoying the game. Although it has a ping system, voice communication will be indispensable, from warning about events that are happening to letting others know that each character’s powers are also active. Speaking of powers, learning and knowing how to use each of the characters’ abilities will also be key to advancing toward victory.

The influence of developers who worked on Titanfall, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends is evident. Many mechanics and aspects will look familiar, especially the latter. How you slide, the way items appear in the loot chest, or even the way the game plans to showcase its lore takes a lot of inspiration from this title.

The visual aspect is also worth highlighting. The game looks impressive, and despite becoming chaotic at times, everything remains as it should be, agile and without frame drops. Unfortunately, we were not able to share the specifications of the PCs we played on, but based on the system requirements, with an RTX 2080, you will be able to see it at its best. The visual mix of high fantasy and weapons may seem a little strange, but the design of both the characters and the world around them makes the experience gradually blend together.

How does Highguard’s economy work?

One thing that stands out is that Wildlight Entertainment has everything ready for its first year. The plan is for Highguard to launch with five maps, six bases, eight Wardens, three mounts, ten weapons, and three siege tools, all to kick off Episode 1. Two weeks later, Episode 2 will begin, introducing a new warden, a new map, a new mount, and ranked mode. Each episode will last two months and will be divided into parts.

Each season will have its own War Chest, equivalent to a battle pass. The first one will be free and will normally cost $9, with a total of 44 items. The twist is that once you purchase the pass, you won’t have to rush to finish it, as it doesn’t expire. What’s more, the developers promise that you’ll be able to purchase War Chests from past seasons that you missed out on and unlock their items. In total, the first season costs $20.

Highguard and the challenge of being a new IP

Highguard is a title with potential in a saturated shooter market. Its approach combines chaos and balance, with a clear philosophy of “easy to learn, difficult to master.” In an industry accustomed to immediately judging new projects, Highguard presents itself as a new IP that asks for something increasingly rare: time.

Although Wildlight Entertainment’s original plan was an Apex Legends-style shadowdrop, today the spotlight seems more inclined to judge than to discover. With a solid foundation, a clear structure, and a defined plan for its first year, Highguard’s real challenge will not only be balancing its systems or expanding its content but also finding a community willing to explore everything it has to offer.

For now, Highguard is available on PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.

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