Highguard’s Criticisms Might Be Too Harsh Based On One Overlooked Feature

Out of all the games announced for 2026, Highguard is one many players aren’t too impressed by, with many criticizing it for being too alike to other hero shooters. However, despite the valid concerns regarding the gameplay of this title, one feature that defines its core competition calls back to an era beloved by many FPS fans. There’s still a chance for Highguard to capture people’s attention, if only for how its main mechanic might change how teams interact with each other throughout a match.

So far, the only evidence of Highguard‘s existence is its initial reveal trailer from the 2025 Game Awards show, which showcased the PvP raid shooter through action-packed gameplay footage. Made by the same developers behind Apex Legends and Titianfall, the game has players control “Wardens,” or arcane gunslingers who fight each other for control of a magical continent. From what we can tell, two teams of unique characters fight from bases to eliminate the other in fast-paced FPS battles.

Fans Aren’t Too Impressed With Highguard’s Similarities With Other Games

Being the final announcement for the Game Awards, one would think that Highguard would have more news surrounding it, with excitement growing toward a promised January 2026 release. However, this game has been strangely silent, especially following the harsh opinions about the title have been prevalent ever since the show it was revealed at. Many players were expecting a more impactful finale, but Highguard‘s similarities to past games made it seem like another generic FPS without anything fresh.

Much like Concord, Highguard‘s live service hero shooter formula has been done before, a fact that fans have been keen to remind its developers. According to some, Highguard simply looks “forced,” with toned down character designs and a hybrid fantasy/sci-fi aesthetic players have seen in a million other games. The amount of praise it received at the Game Awards felt inauthentic at times too, almost as if it was a game people were sponsored to play or talk about rather than something new and unique people could look forward to.

Hero shooters are already in high quantity as well, with other titles like Marvel Rivals, Overwatch 2, and even Apex Legends still dominating the space. Yet, while those games offer something different, many fans feel like Highguard is simply chasing the trend those titles already set. Uninteresting hero designs, flat environments, and an emphasis to pass Highguard off as “the next big thing” all resembles big AAA flops of the past, so it’s no surprise players are skeptical of the game immediately.

Shieldbreaks In Highguard Add Some Interest To An Otherwise Lackluster Title

The gameplay that we do know about for Highguard may look somewhat familiar, but this hero shooter doesn’t just have variety in its individual character abilities. Throughout the announcement trailer, players seem to be fighting over a magic sword, with one team acquiring it after an intense firefight. After gaining the sword, that player uses it to disable or “break” a massive energy shield surrounding the opposing team’s base. This summons a large tank with a battering ram that punches through rival defenses for what seems to be a win condition.

This sword is called the “Shieldbreaker” on Highguard‘s official Steam page, and seems to be the central item Wardens fight over throughout any in-game match. Using the Shieldbreaker helps your team “break into and destroy the enemy base to secure territory,” implying that players can only win when they manage to take out a rival hub area.

This dynamic between Warden squads is slightly vague, as it is unclear how many enemy bases are present in a single match, or if it is simply two teams against one another. Regardless, this attention to the Shieldbreaker creates an interesting dynamic for acting players, making an item the single focus of entire matches. This has similarities to Halo‘s iconic “Capture the Flag” game type, where players had to carefully coordinate their teams to secure and defend a crucial item for their victory.

Team Compositions Might Have Interesting Diversity Due To The Importance Of Shieldbreaker

Since Highguard‘s main objective seems to be the possession of Shieldbreaker and the destruction of enemy bases, it allows more creative synergies between its hero shooter characters. For example, one character’s skill may be more suited for defeating enemies, but without another hero with supportive abilities to keep them alive, your squad will never be able to deliver Shieldbreaker to an enemy base. The best hero shooters out there are celebrated for their ability to make characters feel important in their roles, which Highguard has potential to do.

While many games adopt a fantasy/sci-fi vibe, Highguard‘s reliance on a “sword in the stone” type of item has a chance to endear players more to its world than anything Concord could muster. Shieldbreaker instantly makes team fights more complex than they appear, with hero abilities and certain firearms seemingly manipulating environments to aid in your capture of the sword. Players eager to dismiss this game might be pleasantly surprised if the core gameplay loop is exciting enough to capture an audience’s attention.

Many things remain to be seen, but the idea behind infiltrating areas that enemies once considered “safe” might produce an exciting experience for fans of the hero shooter genre. Highguard might not have many fresh concepts, but its most prominent innovation may be what saves it in the end.

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