This Key Aspect of Highguard Is Worth Salvaging for Another Game

One of 2026’s biggest gaming casualties is Highguard, which was barely active for 50 days before it was shut down — but I really hope one aspect of the game comes back in some new form. The ambitious hero shooter was formally announced at The Game Awards last year, quickly becoming the target of ire among players. While the team at Wildlight Entertainment tried to right the ship, the momentum had shifted against it, which has led to the hero shooter being shut down.

A big part of the problem was that the game was overcomplicated with elements and stages of combat, with each match potentially going upwards of half an hour thanks to multiple lull periods for resupplies and exploration. It’s a shame, though, as there were some elements of the game that had real promise. One minor aspect of the combat was an absolute blast, and I hope a future game is able to take that idea and really run with it.

Highguard’s Mounted Escapes Are Genuinelly A Lot Of Fun

During a preview event held earlier this year, I got the chance to play a couple of rounds of Highguard against other members of the gaming media. During these match-ups, I was typically outperformed in terms of raw combat or base management, although I did find in the actual defense of my base or an assault on the opponent. However, the aspect of the gameplay that I actually gravitated towards immediately was the mounted movement element of the resource and lootbox collection.

While the general consensus is that this period of exploration and crafting takes too long and sucks the momentum out of a match, the actual act of riding around the map on the back of a mythical creature was entertaining. The best aspect came when the ShieldBreaker Sword would appear on the map, giving players a chance to grab the blade and make off with it before the opponent could. Playing almost like a game of reverse capture-the-flag, the mission became maneuvering around the large maps with the sword, often on the back of the mount, trying to reach the enemy base without being shot down.

These moments were by far the most engaged I was with the game, whether that be racing through the labyrinth mines, racing through an open field with gunfire on my back, or sliding off the mount to reach the base before being surrounded. It was kinetic and fast-paced, with a clear objective and easy gameplay loop to understand. While the larger game suffered from a level of over-complication due to the emphasis on resource management, base control, and loot discovery that undercut the more straightforward hero shooter core, the actual act of racing across the map was simple, straightforward, and most importantly — fun. It’s a mode that could carry its own online competitive space and would help speed the game along.

Highguard’s Potential Should Be Recaptured Elsewhere

Highguard had some issues to work out, but there was a lot to like about the game. Unfortunately, the negative reaction to the title and the quickly dwindling player base have resulted in the ambitious roadmap for the title being cut short. Following the announcement that the primary financial backing had been pulled, Highguard‘s servers were shut down on March 12, leaving the game with little more than an inglorious place in gaming history alongside the likes of Concord. However, gaming has always benefited as an art form from the way developers can learn from other titles, and it will be interesting to see what ideas come out of this situation.

In particular, I think a game that simplifies Highguard‘s core gameplay and puts more emphasis on the mounted gameplay could be a lot of fun. There was a lot of room for that mounted movement to come into play in different ways, even beyond the cosmetic possibilities. There was room for developers to incorporate timed competitions into the game engine, turning the massive landscapes into makeshift race tracks. A mode that made the entire objective to be collecting the sword and dropping it into the enemy base would have increased focus on that aspect of the game, picked up the pace, and removed the more standard (and quickly repetitive) base protection portions of the game.

The fully mounted mode would also keep players guessing in larger maps, with different hero abilities potentially paying off different styles of mounted attack — giving the hero shooter a unique attribute that could further separate it from the rest of the competition. It’s the sort of approach that could invite different styles of attack or defense in each round, keeping the enemy guessing. It would put emphasis on speedy gameplay, breakneck battles, and lightning-quick decisions. While Highguard might be gone, a game that reimagines that mounted combat gameplay could be a way for its spirit to live on in a more focused, action-packed experience.