Highguard Launch Player Numbers Revealed: Initial Surge Followed by Steep Decline
The gaming world has been eagerly awaiting data on Highguard, the new free-to-play PvP shooter from Wildlight Entertainment that launched last night following its announcement at The Game Awards. The initial figures are now in, revealing a fascinating pattern of player engagement and raising questions about the game's long-term viability.
Launch Day Performance: A Tale of Two Player Counts
Launching simultaneously across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation at 6pm GMT, Highguard immediately attracted significant attention. Within its first few hours, the game peaked at 97,249 concurrent players on Steam alone, demonstrating substantial initial curiosity from the gaming community. This impressive start suggested Wildlight Entertainment might have a hit on their hands.
However, this early success proved fleeting. Player numbers experienced a dramatic decline throughout the launch window. At the time of reporting, concurrent players on Steam had plummeted to just 11,128, representing a staggering drop of approximately 88% from the peak. This decline means Highguard currently barely scrapes into Steam's top 100 most-played games, though it's worth noting this measurement occurred during UK working hours when many potential players would be unavailable.
Steam Reviews and Player Reception
The player decline coincides with a challenging reception on Steam's review platform. Highguard has launched to 'Mostly Negative' reviews, with many players criticizing what they describe as the game's 'weird' structure and 'poor' performance. Interestingly, the vast majority of these negative reviews appear to have been written after only about an hour of gameplay, suggesting players may not be giving the title sufficient time to reveal its depth and mechanics.
Despite the underwhelming initial reception, Wildlight Entertainment appears undeterred. Lead designer Mohammad Alavi told PC Gamer: "Honestly, we don't need player counts to be super huge in order to be successful. What we're really hoping for is a core group of fans that love us. That will allow us to grow." This philosophy suggests the developers are prioritizing dedicated community building over chasing massive player numbers.
The Concord Comparison: Avoiding a Similar Fate
Many industry observers have drawn comparisons between Highguard's launch and the disastrous 2024 release of Sony's hero shooter Concord, which was pulled from stores after less than a week due to catastrophic player retention issues. The comparison appears favorable for Highguard when examining raw numbers: Concord peaked at just 697 concurrent players on Steam, meaning Highguard's launch numbers exceed Concord's by approximately 13,852%.
Wildlight Entertainment has taken proactive steps to distinguish their approach from Concord's failed strategy. The studio has published a comprehensive 12-month content plan with promised monthly updates including:
- New maps and bases
- Additional raid tools and weapons
- A ranked mode arriving within two weeks
- The first Battle Pass available free to all players
Gameplay Experience and Player Behavior
From a hands-on perspective, Highguard offers a unique gameplay loop that distinguishes it from established battle royale and arena shooters. The experience provides a refreshing change of pace, though it suffers from the network issues common to high-profile multiplayer launches.
One concerning observation involves player behavior during matches. Many teammates were observed leaving matches before they reached the halfway point, suggesting players may be seeking the instant gratification of titles like Titanfall or Call of Duty rather than adapting to Highguard's more gradual action progression. This raises questions about whether this reflects diminishing attention spans in 2026 or insufficient marketing of the game's unique premise.
Looking Beyond Initial Impressions
The gaming community's tendency to form rapid judgments based on limited experience and social media discourse may be influencing Highguard's reception. With millions of eyes on the game since its Game Awards reveal, the internet had already formed expectations before anyone had played the title.
For players genuinely seeking a multiplayer shooter that diverges from the Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty formulas, Highguard deserves more than an hour of exploration. The game's unique mechanics may reveal themselves more fully with extended playtime, potentially cultivating the 'core group of fans' that Wildlight Entertainment is targeting for sustainable success.
While it's too early to predict Highguard's ultimate fate, the developer's experience, content roadmap, and philosophical approach suggest a more optimistic trajectory than Concord's ill-fated journey. The coming weeks will reveal whether players give Highguard the time it needs to find its audience or whether initial impressions solidify into permanent judgments.
