'Highguard' Global Gaming Trend Surge - New FPS from Titanfall Creators Launches
'Highguard' Global Gaming Trend Surge - New FPS from Titanfall Creators Launches
Search Volume Explosion by Country
As of January 26, 2026, 'Highguard' is experiencing a massive surge in global search trends.
Search Volume by Major Countries
- 🇮🇳 India: 10K+ searches
- 🇧🇷 Brazil: 10K+ searches
- 🇺🇸 United States: 10K+ searches
- 🇨🇦 Canada: 5K+ searches
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: 5K+ searches
- 🇩🇪 Germany: 5K+ searches
- 🇫🇷 France: 5K+ searches
- 🇪🇸 Spain: 2K+ searches
- 🇮🇹 Italy: 2K+ searches
- 🇹🇷 Turkey: 2K+ searches
- 🇦🇺 Australia: 1K+ searches
- 🇯🇵 Japan: 1K+ searches
- 🇲🇽 Mexico: 1K+ searches
- 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: 200+ searches
- 🇹🇼 Taiwan: 200+ searches
What is Highguard?
Highguard is a free-to-play PvP raid shooter game officially launched on January 26, 2026. The game is developed by Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded by veteran developers from Respawn Entertainment, the team behind Titanfall and Apex Legends.
The game launched simultaneously on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms with full cross-play support.
Game Features
Highguard is a 3v3 team-based shooter where players become 'Wardens' - gunslingers with magical abilities - battling for control of a mythical continent. The core game mechanics include:
- Exploration and Looting: Traverse vast maps on horseback while collecting weapons, armor, and resources
- Shieldbreaker Contest: Teams compete for a legendary sword spawned from magical storms
- Base Raiding: Use the Shieldbreaker to destroy enemy base shields and infiltrate in a unique game mode
Mixed Reception on Launch Day
High Player Count
The game achieved notable success as a free-to-play title, recording approximately 98,000 concurrent players on Steam shortly after launch. It also garnered significant attention on Twitch, with over 300,000 viewers watching the game at one point.
Overwhelmingly Negative Reviews
However, the game is receiving "Overwhelmingly Negative" reviews on Steam. Currently, only 20% of the 6,561 reviews are positive.
Major Complaints
1. Optimization Issues The biggest problem is the game's lack of optimization. Even players using high-end graphics cards like the RTX 4090 are struggling to maintain 100 FPS, and users with RTX 40 and 50 series cards are reporting frame drops and stability issues.
2. Technical Problems
- Concerns about kernel-level anti-cheat system
- Audio issues
- Accessibility problems due to Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirements
- Frame rate limit settings not functioning properly
3. Game Design Concerns
- The 3v3 format feels too small for the map size (players suggest 5v5 or 6v6 would be more appropriate)
- Weapons described as generic (shooting feels good but lacks originality)
Developer Response
Wildlight Entertainment has promised long-term support for the game and revealed a 2026 roadmap. The roadmap consists of 7 episodes, each divided into 2 parts:
- Episode 2 (February): New Warden, map, mount, and ranked mode
- Episode 3 (April-May): New weapons, modes, stronghold, charms, and loot items
- Future episodes will include limited-time events and "surprise" content
Professional Critics' Evaluation
Notably, professional game critics have given relatively positive reviews compared to Steam user reviews. Reviews on Metacritic praised the game's innovative concept and enjoyable gameplay:
- Unique three-phase game loop (explore-contest-raid)
- Excellent gunplay
- Distinctive abilities for each Warden
- High esports potential
Official Launch Showcase
The game's official launch showcase video has garnered over 90,134 views on YouTube. The video showcases the game's core mechanics and visuals.
Watch the video: Highguard | Official Launch Showcase
Center of Controversy: The Game Awards and Geoff Keighley
Highguard was revealed as the final announcement at The Game Awards 2025 on December 12, 2025. Show producer Geoff Keighley showed great confidence in the game, and on January 24, he told critics comparing the game to Concord that they would be "apologizing in 48 hours."
While the game did achieve high player counts, the controversy continues due to negative reviews.
Conclusion: Potential Present, Improvements Needed
Highguard is an intriguing project combining an innovative game concept with the experience of the Titanfall and Apex Legends development team. The high concurrent player count demonstrates significant interest in the game, but optimization issues and technical problems are severely hampering the player experience.
If the developers quickly provide performance improvement patches and add content according to their roadmap, the game still has potential for success. The fact that it's a free-to-play game is also an advantage, allowing players to try it without financial commitment.
References
- Steam Store Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4128260/Highguard/
- Official Website: https://playhighguard.com/
- GamesRadar+ Guide: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/fps/highguard-guide/
- OpenCritic News: https://opencritic.com/news/26377/poor-optimization-largely-to-blame-for-highguards-terrible-steam-reviews
- Gaming Bolt Review Analysis: https://gamingbolt.com/highguard-gets-overwhelmingly-negative-steam-reviews-peaks-at-nearly-98000-concurrent-players
Related Trend Links
For more detailed search trends by country, visit TrendNow:
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