Highguard Faces an Uphill Battle on Steam and Consoles Following a Controversial Debut
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Wildlight Entertainment's new free-to-play raid shooter Highguard is facing a rocky launch marked by technical issues, mixed console reviews, and lingering community backlash stemming from its Game Awards reveal, as detailed in a recent report by Polygon.
Wildlight Entertainment entered the competitive shooter arena with high ambitions, but the free-to-play raid shooter Highguard is experiencing a remarkably turbulent rollout. As reported by Polygon, the game sits at a mostly negative user score on Steam with roughly 32 percent positive reviews out of nearly 15,000 entries. Players are citing frustrating technical hurdles, including long queue times, tutorial disconnects, and severe frame rate drops on PC. Console players are echoing similar frustrations, with ratings lingering below three stars on both the Xbox and PlayStation stores.
Much of this friction stems from the community baggage Highguard inherited before launch. When the title took the coveted final announcement slot at The 2025 Game Awards, the reaction was swift and polarized. Many viewers grew defensive over another live-service shooter taking up major showcase real estate, immediately drawing comparisons to Sony's short-lived Concord. That initial skepticism hardened into an organized wave of review-bombing and meme-heavy backlash across Reddit and social media, creating a difficult environment for the development team to overcome regardless of the actual gameplay quality.
Despite the noise, player metrics tell a nuanced story about engagement. Highguard initially peaked at over 97,000 concurrent players on Steam right after launch, though numbers quickly dipped as evening rolled in. While critics have praised parts of the experience, citing the unique blend of looting, mining, and raid mechanics, the broader community remains divided on whether the game brings enough fresh ideas to justify its place in a crowded rotation. Wildlight Entertainment faces an urgent challenge to stabilize performance and win over a skeptical player base that has little patience for rough launches.
Tags: Highguard, Wildlight Entertainment, PC Gaming, Steam, Consoles
Original article: Polygon