Is Highguard Doomed? New Hero Shooter Gets Negative Reviews

Digital Phablet – Highguard, a new hero shooter game created by former developers of Apex Legends and Titanfall, is now available as a free-to-play option on Steam.

Even with minimal marketing efforts, Highguard managed to attract nearly 100,000 players at its peak on Steam, with some users experiencing login queues.

Prior to its release, the game faced criticism after securing the final spot at Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards, despite competing in a crowded market of free-to-play hero shooters.

Is Highguard doomed from the start? Negative reviews flood Steam

Geoff Keighley, who hosts the Game Awards, faced criticism from gamers for heavily promoting Highguard on X (formerly Twitter) and awarding it the closing slot during the ceremony.

A Steam user commented, “I blame Geoff for the pile-on this game is getting. It’s fun. Will I keep playing it? Probably not, but I might enjoy a few more hours. And it’s free.”

Following its announcement at the Game Awards, the game’s marketing team remained quiet, only recently starting to upload gameplay videos showcasing weapons, modes, maps, and the heroes players can choose from.

As of now, Highguard has approximately 10,000 active players, representing a significant decline from its peak, according to SteamDB.

The game currently holds a “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam, a marked improvement from the “Overwhelmingly Negative” reviews it received at launch.

A Steam user expressed disappointment, saying, “I mostly just feel bad for the developers. The game wasn’t prepared for this level of scrutiny. Everything looks blurry and unclear. The map is as big as Latvia, but with only three players, most of your time is spent running around trying to find someone to kill.”