On January 26, 2026, the gaming industry was caught off guard by a true shadowdrop. With no months-long marketing buildup, Highguard launched immediately following a major reveal at The Game Awards. The title marks the debut project of Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded by industry veterans who previously played key roles in the creation of Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Call of Duty.
On its release day, Highguard quickly became one of the most talked-about games — not just across the gaming community, but also on livestreaming platforms, where it drew the attention of many high-profile content creators.
What is Highguard?
Highguard is a free-to-play, hero-based PvP raid shooter that casts players as "Wardens" — arcane gunslingers battling for dominance over a mythical continent. The game differentiates itself from the crowded hero-shooter market by blending high-stakes tactical gunplay with:
-
Mounted Combat: High-speed engagements that change the scale of the battlefield.
-
Objective-Driven Raids: Competing for the "Shieldbreaker" to dismantle enemy fortresses.
-
Destructible Environments: A dynamic world where cover is never permanent.
Right after its reveal at The Game Awards, Highguard sparked mixed reactions from the audience. Some players criticized its visual style, comparing it to the notoriously ill-received Concord. Others argued that the developers had missed the right moment, releasing the game several years too late, at a time when the hero-shooter genre had already lost much of its relevance. That said, many gamers called for patience, encouraging the community to wait for the official release and experience the game firsthand rather than forming opinions based solely on trailers.
Highguard launched on January 26, and according to SteamDB, the game peaked at approximately 97.2 thousand concurrent players at release. However, by the middle of the following day, that figure had already fallen sharply to around 11 thousand players.
Highguard’s livestreaming performance
Despite the mixed player reception, Highguard’s release drew significant interest from major streamers and content creators. Within just a few hours of launch, Highguard broadcasts amassed over 1.53 million Hours Watched on Twitch, propelling the game to sixth place among all gaming categories on the platform.
Highguard’s livestreaming performance
On Highguard’s release day, the game was streamed by many well-known creators, primarily those focused on shooters and battle royale titles. The largest audience belonged to Canadian streamer Michael “shroud” Grzesiek, whose first Highguard broadcast peaked at 49,137 concurrent viewers on Twitch.
On YouTube Live, the top performer was Herschel “DrDisRespect” Beahm IV, reaching a peak audience of 23,572 viewers. Meanwhile, Ferit “wtcn” Karakaya emerged as the most popular Highguard streamer on Kick, with his stream peaking at 9,507 viewers.
The strong livestreaming activity surrounding the game was largely fueled by Twitch Drops. By watching Highguard streams, viewers could earn in-game cosmetic rewards distributed by the developers. Among the available items were the Sky Voyager Banner and Highland Tiger.
Highguard Twitch Drops rewards
Overall, Highguard got off to a solid start with livestreaming, but on release day, it fell well behind Hytale in both viewers and total watch hours. For now, Hypixel Studios’ sandbox title continues to dominate as January’s biggest game release.
The big question is how sustained audience interest in Highguard will be — and whether this new PvP raid shooter might eventually follow in the footsteps of Concord.
