Highguard makes 5v5 Raid Mode permanent following player feedback

Following player feedback, developer Wildlight Entertainment has permanently added 5v5 Raid Mode Highguard. The game has only been out for about a week, but the number of players has dropped by over 80% since launch. Time will tell if this new change can help bring players back to Highguard.

As the last big announcement at The Game Awards 2025, Highguard watched by millions of players around the world. Unfortunately, initial reception to the game was mixed at best. Many gamers were disappointed that the spotlight at the end of one of the biggest gaming events of the year was given to a live service game. The controversy worsened as some believed that the PvP raid shooter could fail like the PlayStation's Harmony. Still, Highguard was released on January 26, with many players sharing their opinions about the shooter online. A common criticism was that matches felt empty due to only having a 3v3 option. Fortunately, Wildlight Entertainment has heard the complaints and made a change.

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Highguard makes 5v5 Raid Mode permanent

In a post on social media, the developer has revealed that 5v5 Raid Mode has been added permanently, offering another option for players who want more action. This news comes after the mode was added for a limited time as part of an experimental playlist for Highguard. According to Wildlight Entertainment, that test was successful, with a “pretty even split” between 3v3 and 5v5 modes over the weekend. This influenced the decision to make the new mode permanent. “You've asked, and we're happy to share – 5v5 Raid Mode is here to stay,” the developer post read.

Unsurprisingly, the reception to this change has been largely positive from the community. Players have posted their opinions on Reddit and even in recent Steam reviews, noting that they prefer 5v5 matches. Among the comments, many liked the larger team size for occasional matches, noting that it brought more action. However, others suggested that Wildlight Entertainment would keep its competitive roster as 3v3 when released in the future. That said, others were hoping the developer would offer 3v3 and 5v5 options for Competitive as well.

It will be interesting to see what effect a permanent 5v5 mode has on Highguard in the coming weeks. While reception has been positive, it may take more than a new mode to significantly increase player numbers. At the time of writing, the game has 8,318 players on Steam, according to SteamDB data. This is drastically less than the all-time peak of 97,249 players following the game's launch. It is worth pointing out Highguard is available on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, so the total number of players may be slightly higher. Regardless, the game has lost a significant number of players shortly after launch.

Despite these discouraging player count figures, Wildlight Entertainment has big plans for the game in the coming weeks. The developer has already released a post-launch roadmap for Highguardwhich gives players an idea of what to expect. Specifically, the content will be released in episodes spanning throughout 2026. These episodes will include new Wardens, bases, weapons, mods, and more.

Who is that character?

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Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)

While Highgaurd has faced negativity around launch, the developer seems committed to supporting the game for the rest of the year, at least. Also, it's nice to see the game getting quick changes to handle fan feedback. It will be interesting to see what other tweaks are made for Highguard and whether they can help increase its popularity.