Shooters make up some of the biggest pieces of the video gaming pie, with titles like Fortnite dominating the marketplace. Free-to-play shooters are not only popular among players but also generate a ton of cash for publishers despite lacking an upfront cost. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for new shooters to arrive semi-regularly. One such game, Highguard, is set to release one month from writing, and it’s likely to woo a ton of players, thanks to being developed by the folks who gave the world both Titanfall and Apex Legends, both of which have been tremendously successful.
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Highguard received a lot of attention when it was announced with a trailer at the 2025 Game Awards, and plenty of gamers are looking forward to its release. It debuted with cinematics and gameplay footage as the final big reveal at the event, and Highguard is set to launch on January 26, 2025. The game will be free and available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, so there are plenty of options available for anyone looking to check it out. Not only that, but the price doesn’t hurt at all, as the game is entirely free to play. Granted, like any free-to-play shooter, you can expect cosmetics to bring in the cash.
Gamers Are Likely to Flock to Highguard
Highguard is already up on Steam, where you can wishlist it while awaiting its drop date. It’s described as “a PvP raid shooter where players will ride, fight, and raid as Wardens, arcane gunslingers sent to fight for control of a mythical continent.” There’s a lot of early buzz surrounding the forthcoming new shooter, thanks mainly to the big reveal at the end of the Game Awards, though it’s not all positive. The game blends medieval elements with futuristic tech and weaponry to create an otherworldly yet familiar gamescape. It’s an environment where players can run and gun through as they partner up, go on raids, or slaughter anyone who crosses their path.
When the Highguard trailer dropped at the event, it wasn’t what fans were hoping for, so it took the brunt of their collective consternation. This has resulted in some in the gaming community who aren’t looking forward to Highguard’s release, while others eagerly await it. Regardless of the buzz, be it positive or negative, the game looks spectacular, and thanks to its free-to-play model, it won’t cost anyone more than a bit of disk space to check out. For this reason, there’s a good chance that Highguard will receive a large number of players as soon as it launches.
When you look at the folks behind Highguard, it’s easy to get excited — especially for fans of Apex Legends. Elements of that battle royale-hero shooter are clearly present in Highguard, though the two games differ in many areas. Still, the shooter market is a tough one to break into, and there’s as good a chance that Highguard will falter out of the gate with infinitely more popular titles taking up players’ time. Ultimately, it will be up to gamers to decide whether to get a copy of the game or avoid it entirely. Either way, only time will tell how well Highguard will do.
Highguard Might Be the Next Big Shooter
Combining genres like fantasy and technology has worked well in the past, so there’s a good chance that Highguard will entice players with its aesthetics alone. If it should succeed, you might start seeing the name Highguard alongside industry leaders like Overwatch 2 and Fortnite, but those games are tough acts to follow. Still, as a free game, Highguard could attract players to try it for themselves, but Fortnite is free as well. Breaking its devoted fans away — even momentarily — is a near insurmountable task. With any luck, players will find that Highguard is an entertaining distraction, but we won’t know until it releases on January 26, 2026.
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