Wildlight Leisure, a studio based by ex-Respawn builders, revealed its model new PvP recreation, Highguard, at The Sport Awards 2025.
The award present concluded with an almost three-minute-long trailer showcasing the brand new first-person shooter developed by the workforce behind Apex Legends and Titanfall.
Gamers gained’t have to attend lengthy to expertise Wildlight’s debut recreation, as Highguard will launch as a free-to-play title on January twenty sixth, 2026 on PC, Xbox Collection X|S, and PS5.
On its Steam web page, the official description for Highguard reads: “From the creators of Apex Legends and Titanfall, comes Highguard: a PvP raid shooter the place gamers will trip, battle, and raid as Wardens, arcane gunslingers despatched to battle for management of a legendary continent.”
The self-described ‘raid-shooter’ consists of groups preventing for the possession of a Shieldbreaker, hoping to breach and destroy enemy bases as a way to seize territory. Different gameplay parts have been additionally revealed within the trailer, together with mounts for traversal, Warden talents, a mixture of medieval and trendy weaponry, and extra.
Highguard is the debut recreation of Wildlight Leisure, a studio shaped in 2021 by veterans from Respawn Leisure, and has been in growth for the previous 4 years. Highguard was the ultimate reveal in The Sport Awards this yr, an honour sometimes reserved for main reveals and essentially the most extremely anticipated video games.
Does Highguard have Esports Potential?
Highguard boasts numerous potential for a aggressive scene; nevertheless, as of proper now, there aren’t any clear indications that this can be a course Wildlight Leisure are taking. Furthermore, whether or not or not it might foster an esports scene as widespread because the Apex Legends International Collection stays to be seen.
Its distinctive gameplay loop, consisting of raiding different groups and capturing targets, permits it to face out from different esports titles. In consequence, it might occupy a novel area within the shooter scene, separating itself from battle royales like Fortnite and tactical shooters like VALORANT.
The possibilities of a aggressive scene forming in the end hinge on how widespread Highguard is as soon as it releases subsequent January, and what course the builders want to take the raid shooter ought to it change into a hit.
