Highguard reveals patch notes for its latest update

Highguard will receive its final update ever at 4:00 PM PST today, March 4, as developer Wildlight Entertainment prepares the shooter for an imminent shutdown just weeks after it was first released. Highguards farewell update will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in a few hours, bringing tons of new content for players to check out in the final days, including account progression, a skill tree, a new Warden, and more.

It has been a short lived life too Highguard. The PvP raid shooter took the coveted final spot at last year's Game Awards ceremony, surprising many as titles like Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, Tomb Raider: Catalyst, and Divinity were all strong contenders to end the show with a bang. Instead, presenter Geoff Keighley apparently enjoyed his time with Highguard so much so during an early hands-on session that he insisted its reveal be at the event. Developer Wildlight Entertainment, which is formed by industry veterans who have previously worked with the likes of Apex Legends and Battlefield 6initially planned to shadow release the game at the end of January. But even with all the extra exposure, Highguard failed to find the player base it had hoped for.

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Highguard is releasing the final update later today

Earlier this week, Wildlight Entertainment announced the news that the gaming community had been expecting for the past few weeks: Highguard officially shut down. The servers will be up and running until March 12th, and those who have been hanging around since launch will have some brand new content to check out thanks to a final farewell update. The patch will go live for all supported platforms at 4:00 PM PST on March 4th and will mark the end of support for the free-to-play game. According to the patch notes, found further down in this article, the update adds account progression, where players can level up and earn XP and skill points to spend on the new skill tree. There is also a new Warden, known as Koldo, and a new weapon, the Switchback Shotgun.

Balance the critics' averages

Light (6) Medium (8) Hard (10)

About like Harmonywhich had an even shorter lifespan, the cause of Highguards failure will be a topic of discussion for quite some time. However, a former developer at Wildlight Entertainment believes the shooter was doomed because the studio leaned too far into the racing scene. Alex Garner, who was a senior level designer for Highguardsaid that going all-in on the game's 3v3 mode was likely where its downfall lay. The developer noted how 3v3 modes are always the “sweatiest version” of things like Battle Royale, objective modes, and more. “I think that was the biggest thing that put a lot of players off Highguard“, said the former Wildlight developer.

Unfortunately, the game's suspension hasn't come as much of a surprise. At launch, Highguard managed to peak at nearly 100,000 concurrent players on Steam. But that number soon dwindled, and quickly. Just last week, Highguard hit a brutal new low, dropping to as low as 253 concurrent players on the platform. Of course, this doesn't take into account how many people played on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but the Steam numbers can be a bit of an indicator of how a game is performing. While we'll never know the official console stats for the shooter, there clearly weren't enough players to keep the game alive.

It is unclear what Highguards shutdown means for those remaining at Wildlight Entertainment, as it has yet to be confirmed if the studio intends to go back to the drawing board and develop a new title or if the studio will close as well. Less than a month after the release of HighguardWildlight announced layoffs at the studio. In a statement posted on its social media accounts, Wildlight said it had made the difficult decision to part ways with a number of employees. At the time, it said a core group of developers would remain to continue support Highguardbut it is now unknown what the future holds for those who remain in the studio.

Highguard Final Update Patch Notes

Account progress

You will now level up your account just by playing the game. When you return to the lobby, you gain XP, level up and earn skill points that can be spent on the new skill tree!

Everyone's account starts at level 0 and goes to level 100.

Your first level will reward you with 5 skill points. Afterwards, you get 1 skill point per level up to level 40 for a total of 44 points to spend. This allows players to choose up to two skill trees to max.

Skill tree

The Skill Tree is designed for players to build out their upgrades in four different playstyles. Each branch has a variety of options for players to choose from, with 2 levels of power on all small nodes. Here is a list of what each branch focuses on, along with some examples.

Raider– for players who want to be unstoppable during Raids, along with some buffs and abilities focused on general combat effectiveness.
- Infiltration – while raiding, zipline further into the enemy base
- Juggernaut – destroying a wall grants a temporary overshield
- Spearhead – you get a Domesplitter and a Thumper Charge when your Siege Tower rolls in
Harvester– for players who want to increase their vesper gain and the power of their Warden Axe
- Heavy Swing – you swing your ax with two hands and instantly destroy Vesper Nodes
- Shatter Orb – destroys the enemy's soul orb with your cast ax or regular ax swing
- Field Crafting – Create armor, equipment and raiding tools on the battlefield
Treasure hunter
– for those players who love to loot
- Treasure Seeker – hidden chests can be found and opened at PoIs
- Archaeologist – Can sell items to Trader Flynn
- Artifact Mastery – Amulets have a bonus magical property when equipped
Patron– for players who like to defend and keep the team together
- Resonance walls – reinforced walls are more durable
- Unbreakable Armor – once every two minutes prevent loss of armor on death
- Vanguard – while you defend your base, allies can play on you

You can easily remove a skill, and you can restore all your points for free by clicking the button at the bottom.

We have set the XP gain to be very fast so players can earn points quickly and enjoy the full spectrum of the feature.

New warden – Koldo

An ancient soul who must protect the lost continent of Highguard

Koldo was discovered at Highguard. A lost soul from long before the continent disappeared, trapped in a suit of armor, he searches for answers to his past. Koldo uses the power of his soul to protect his allies.

Passive: Guardian Angel

Protect all friendly orbs around you from destruction.

Deploy your shield automatically when you revive allies.

Tactical: Soul Shield

Deploy a shield for you and your allies.

Ultimate: Battle Cry

Koldo raises a standard that creates a protective dome. He can pick up and carry the standard and drop it again at will.

Being inside the dome gives allies faster health regeneration.

New Weapon – The Switchback

Long-range double-barreled shotgun

The Switchback provides unmatched versatility and comfortably handles meetings at close quarters and long distances. When used in hipfire it is a shotgun. Aiming down will turn the weapon into a sniper rifle.

The name “Switchback” comes from its unique double barrel design. You can quickly fire twice before needing to re-chamber, though you can also speed up your shots to keep up a continuous stream of fire.

In the field, many Wardens have attempted to use Switchback. Only a few have really learned to master it.

Gold versions

Switchback has 2 gold versions that can be found in loot chests or with Trader Flynn.