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“That is a legitimate question, and it’s one I weigh frequently,” Welch told Bloomberg. “It’s a thought that will likely stay with me. Even if we achieve massive success, I’ll still analyze the business logic and how we communicated with our audience. Was there a more effective path? I don’t have that answer yet.”
Whether the pushback stems from a general exhaustion with live-service titles or specific gameplay critiques, the initial consensus on Highguard has been lukewarm. While formal reviews are still appearing, the emerging sentiment is mixed at best. Welch is still uncertain if the now-notorious trailer exacerbated the negative feedback.
“Navigating the toxicity is a significant hurdle. It’s debatable whether the Game Awards spotlight increased the virulence of the reaction or if it would have been the same regardless,” he noted. “We’ll never truly know, but it’s a factor that every developer must weigh in the current climate.”
The discourse surrounding Highguard has made it difficult to gauge the game’s actual quality. Steam reviews currently sit at “mostly negative,” yet that rating shifts toward “mostly positive” when filtered for users with more than three hours of playtime. This suggests that while the initial impression is rough, those who engage with the game’s deeper mechanics and match structures may find a more substantial experience than the “lazy mishmash” described by early detractors.
After testing the game personally, I found myself distinctly underwhelmed after a few rounds. While it hasn’t hooked me enough to demand immediate playtime, I must give credit where it’s due: the optimization is impressive. The game ran flawlessly even on an aging PC equipped with an RX 580.
Wildlight has already begun rolling out significant updates. Following a large performance patch earlier this week, the studio announced a limited-time 5v5 mode, seemingly addressing complaints regarding map size and pacing in the standard 3v3 format. The developers appear to be taking a highly reactive stance toward player feedback, making it difficult to predict exactly how Highguard will evolve in the coming months.
Despite the rocky start, Highguard has a full year of episodic content currently in development, designed to provide a consistent roadmap while mitigating the burnout typical of modern live-service titles.
