After Less Than a Week, Highguard Could Be Making a Huge…

Less than a week after its launch, hero shooter Highguard has already added an experimental 5v5 playlist to shake things up as it continues to battle against rapidly declining player count numbers. After debuting at just under 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, Highguard has already fallen regularly below 10,000 active players at any given moment on the platform, prompting quick action from developer Wildlight Entertainment.

The release strategy for Highguard was certainly unconventional. It was initially revealed as the final major 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 for Highguard to shadow-drop, adopting the Apex Legends strategy. When all was said and done, Highguard drew major attention on Steam following its release, with tons of reviews and a large player count. Unfortunately, though, many of these reviews were negative, putting the game at a "Mixed" rating on Steam at the moment. Just 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 full character guide!

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By Lucas Simons

Highguard Adds Experimental 5v5 Mode As Player Count Declines

Since launch, Highguard's player count has collapsed, with a 13,119 24-hour peak at the time of writing, versus the all-time peak of 97,249 set just six days ago. In the latest Highguard patch notes, Wildlight Entertainment has moved quickly to address criticism and draw players back in by adding a brand-new experimental 5v5 Raid Mode playlist. Previously, Highguard was a 3v3-exclusive game, so trying something new could already represent a significant shift for the title's future. The 5v5 mode allows for full parties of five, and some balance changes have been made to account for this. Raids now have 10 lives, rather than six, and respawns are now slightly longer to allow generators to be planted and defused. This 5v5 mode is purely experimental, so it remains to be seen if it's here for the long haul. The patch notes state that it's only "for the weekend," suggesting gamers will have very limited time to try out Highguard's 5v5 mode. Wildlight Entertainment reiterates that it's a separate playlist from the standard 3v3 mode, and says "3v3 Raids are still there for people who enjoy it."

A 5v5 game mode for Highguard does make a lot of sense - some of the initial criticism aimed at the game mentioned that the maps felt a little too big for 3v3, prompting many to call for bigger lobby sizes. So while this could be a solid step forward, the damage may already be done. Given the negative early reviews of Highguard, it's important to remember that first impressions are everything, especially in an increasingly crowded space for live-service games. These titles have to impress gamers from the off, 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 out for Highguard, hopefully it's here to stay.

Shooting enemies on horseback in Highguard (Preview)

Despite the early struggles, Wildlight Entertainment is far from giving up on Highguard. In the wake of its release, the developer unveiled an ambitious 2026 Highguard roadmap, with tons of free content planned throughout the year in various episodes. If it can live up to the on-paper promise of this roadmap, then it's going to be an exciting time to be a Highguard fan.

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