After a mixed debut last week, Highguard by Wildlight Entertainment is committed to engaging its player base by making the 5v5 Raid mode a permanent feature. Despite positive aspects of this free-to-play shooter developed by former Titanfall and Apex Legends creators, criticism arose regarding the initial emptiness felt in the expansive starting areas of matches.
The game faced a wave of negative Steam reviews, many from players with minimal game time, leading to an initial wave of negative feedback. However, the Steam rating has improved from ‘Overwhelmingly Negative’ to ‘Mixed’ over time.
While the primary competitive mode in Highguard remains 3v3, Wildlight Entertainment swiftly introduced a 5v5 mode to enhance match dynamics, and this temporary addition has now been confirmed as a permanent fixture.
In a recent announcement, the Highguard team shared, “You’ve been asking, and we’re happy to share—5v5 Raid Mode is here to stay! We appreciate everyone who tried out the mode over the weekend, and the feedback helped us make this decision.”
Players in the Highguard subreddit have expressed excitement over the decision, with one fan exclaiming, “5v5 is permanent everyone!!! I’m so happy right now!” Others have noted the distinction between the casual action-packed nature of 5v5 and the tactical gameplay of 3v3.
Acknowledging the community’s input, one player praised Wildlight for its responsiveness, stating, “This is genuinely super impressive. The devs’ ability to stay connected with the community and implement changes swiftly is a rare sight in the industry.”
Despite its free-to-play model, Highguard has been criticized for its barebones content, with the developer making significant adjustments post-launch. The game’s player count peaked at nearly 100,000 on Steam initially but has since stabilized at a daily peak of around 10,000.
While Wildlight has downplayed the importance of player numbers, it has a year’s worth of planned live service content and aims to retain a dedicated player base to enjoy these updates.
Highguard is currently accessible for free on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.