Highguard made its debut two weeks ago, and since then, conversations regarding the game have died down quite a bit. At launch, the first-person shooter saw a massive wave of criticism, with many completely writing it off after an hour or two.
However, studio Wildlight Entertainment promises to work on the game and update it for a long time. In fact, the studio has already introduced a 5v5 mode after popular demand. Discussing the situation, a former Half-Life developer has admitted that Highguard can still make a comeback.
Chet Faliszek, who worked at Valve as a writer on Half-Life 2, has discussed the game in one of his recent TikTok videos.
He highlighted how slow and gradual progress on live-service titles is typically the best approach. Using the example of Valve’s own Deadlock, he noted that the gaming giant has spent millions of dollars on the project to get it where it is today.
Chet Faliszek also made the point that much of the negativity regarding Highguard came from an audience that wouldn’t play the game in the first place. In contrast, he pointed to Splitgate 2 as an example of a title that disappointed its core audience.
The developer argues that the ability to keep trying and iterating is the secret behind finding success in the live-service genre. He believes this is why Deadlock has succeeded today, and the same could be the case for Highguard with enough trial and error.
“Hopefully, Highguard will pull it off (a comeback). I think they have the possibility to.” -Chet Faliszek
Interestingly, the game has already seen a small beacon of hope in the form of improving reviews on Steam. While the Steam concurrent player count is no longer as high, it seems players are more positive about the overall experience, especially with 5v5 now in the mix.
