Highguard can make a big difference

Less than a week after launch, hero shooter Highguard has already added an experimental 5v5 roster to shake things up as it continues to battle rapidly dwindling player counts. After debuting with just under 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, Highguard has already regularly dipped below 10,000 active players at any given time on the platform, prompting swift action from developer Wildlight Entertainment.

The release strategy for Highguard was really unconventional. It was initially revealed as the final big announcement at The Game Awards 2025. Marketing for the game was largely radio silent until its January 26 release date, and studio co-founder Dusty Welch recently revealed that the plan was to Highguard to cast a shadow, suppose Apex Legends strategy. When all was said and done, Highguard attracted a lot of attention on Steam after its launch, with tons of reviews and a large number of players. Unfortunately, however, many of these reviews were negative, giving the game a “Mixed” rating on Steam at the moment. Only 43% of the game's reviews are positive, which has immediately put the game on the back foot.

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All characters in Highguard

Highguard is a challenging PvP Shooter Arena, and knowing every Warden in the roster will help you reach the top! Check out this complete character guide!

Highguard adds experimental 5v5 mode when the player count decreases

Since its launch, HighguardPlayer numbers have collapsed, with a 24-hour peak of 13,119 at the time of writing, compared to a peak of 97,249 just six days ago. In the latest Highguard Patch Notes, Wildlight Entertainment has moved quickly to address criticism and lure players back by adding a brand new experimental 5v5 Raid Mode playlist. Previous, Highguard was a 3v3 exclusive game, so trying something new could already represent a significant change for the future of the title. The 5v5 mode allows for full parties of five, and some balance changes have been made to account for this. Raider now has 10 life, rather than six, and respawns are now slightly longer to allow generators to be planted and disarmed. This 5v5 mode is purely experimental, so it remains to be seen if it's here for the long haul. The patch notes say it's only “for the weekend”, suggesting that players will have very limited time to test Highguards 5v5 mode. Wildlight Entertainment reiterates that it's a separate playlist from the regular 3v3 mode, saying “3v3 Raids are still there for people who like it.”

A 5v5 game mode for Highguard makes a lot of sense – some of the initial criticism leveled at the game mentioned that the maps felt a little too big for 3v3, leading many to call for larger lobby sizes. So while this may be a major step forward, the damage may already be done. Given the negative early reviews of the Highguardit's important to remember that first impressions are everything, especially in an increasingly crowded live service gaming space. These titles need to impress players from the start or they will abandon them in droves in favor of the other countless live service offerings out there right now. If the 5v5 experiment works for Highguardhopefully this one is here to stay.

Shoot enemies on horseback in Highguard (Preview)

Despite the early struggles, Wildlight Entertainment is far from giving up Highguard. In the wake of the launch, the developer revealed an ambitious 2026 Highguard roadmap, with lots of free content planned throughout the year in different episodes. If it can live up to the promise on paper of this roadmap, then it will be an exciting time to be a Highguard fan.