The developers of Highguard have remained silent following the surprising announcement at the Game Awards 2025. Today, on January 26, 2026, we finally know what this new shooter on YouTube and Steam is all about.
So what is Highguard? Highguard is a free raid shooter that launched on January 26, 2026, on Steam and PS5. It features 3 vs 3 gameplay and includes survival elements as well as a kind of open world to traverse using different mounts.
The developers maintained the excitement up to the release. At 7:00 PM, they showcased details for the first time on YouTube and provided insights into the development. You can watch it here:
What the developers said: The studio behind Highguard consists of veterans from games like Apex and Titanfall – they know gunplay. According to the showcase, ballistic weapons were a central focus of development. It was also clear that they wanted a fantasy setting.
With the individual elements – base building, open world, and mounts – they then moved into the concept phase.
The key, the developers said, is to fail quickly, because: Those who fail quickly and often can learn a lot, and get to the great end product faster. This end project is now Highguard and is available to play.
At launch, there are 5 maps with 6 bases, 8 different playable characters, 3 mounts, and 10 weapons. Additional content is set to come into the game in “episodes.” In a few weeks, a new Warden and a ranked mode are also expected to be added.
This trailer caused a stir for Highguard at the Game Awards:
How is Highguard being received so far? Currently, at 7:30 PM, the first players are just now entering the game after the rush at release caused queues. Even now, SteamDB records over 60,000 players, with numbers rising. Those who can’t get in are likely watching the action for now – on Twitch, the shooter currently has 322,000 viewers.
The audience already seemed quite positive during the showcase – aside from some “Concord” shouts. Have you had a few rounds in Highguard? Let us know in the comments how your first impressions are.
