Highguard, the free-to-play PvP raid shooter developed by Wildlight Entertainment, launched on Steam and consoles on January 26, 2026, following a reveal at The Game Awards 2025. Promising epic raids, arcane gunslinging Wardens, resource looting, storm-forged sword battles, and base assaults on vast mythical maps, it initially drew massive crowds. Player counts peaked at nearly 97,000 concurrent users shortly after launch, rivaling big-day numbers for major titles.
Steam Reviews Turn Overwhelmingly Negative
However, the excitement quickly soured. Within hours, Steam reviews plunged into negative territory, hitting Overwhelmingly Negative ratings early on (around 17-21% positive in initial waves) before settling at Mostly Negative (28% positive out of over 12,000 English reviews and roughly 15,800 total). Thousands of thumbs-down poured in, with over 7,000-11,000 negative reviews accumulating rapidly.
Severe Technical Issues
The core complaints paint a picture of a launch plagued by technical woes and questionable design choices. Players reported severe performance issues, including stuttering, low frame rates, and blurry visuals, even on high-end hardware. Long login queues frustrated thousands trying to join the hype. Server disconnections, packet burst errors, and loading freezes compounded the problems, turning what should have been a thrilling debut into a tech support nightmare.
Gameplay Feels Empty and Confusing
Gameplay drew even harsher criticism. The 3v3 format on enormous maps led to excessive travel time spent riding or running across empty landscapes, with little action in between. "The map is the size of Latvia but you only have 3 players so most of your time is spent running around the map," one review noted. Mechanics felt confusing, unbalanced, and ultimately boring for many, lacking polish, content variety, or engaging flow despite the raid-shooter premise. Some called the experience "meh, kinda boring" or outright unfun, with objectives failing to click.
Memes Explode Over the Free-to-Play Irony
The free-to-play model amplified the irony and humor. Memes exploded online, riffing on the absurdity of hating a no-cost game this much. Variations of "It's free and I still want a refund" or "Zero dollars spent, zero fun received" flooded discussions, with players joking they'd pay to un-download it or get their wasted hours back. The contrast between the 97k peak (curious players jumping in) and rapid exodus fueled laughs.
Outlook and Developer Challenges
While a vocal minority praised solid gunplay and potential with future Episodes (monthly free updates adding maps, weapons, and modes), the overwhelming sentiment highlighted a rushed, unoptimized launch that squandered its audience. Player counts dropped sharply after the initial surge, and discussions turned to whether hotfixes, balance patches, or better communication could salvage it.
Highguard's debut stands as a textbook case of hype meeting harsh reality: massive initial interest crushed by bugs, empty-feeling gameplay, and technical shortcomings. In an era of crowded live-service shooters, this free flop has already become prime meme fodder, proving that even zero price tag can't guarantee forgiveness for a poor first impression. Developers face an uphill battle to turn the tide, but for now, the internet's having a field day with the irony.
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