As player numbers fall, Highguard makes the actually-quite-good 5v5 mode permanent

Barely over a month in, 2026 has been busy, but Highguard is easily the strangest game release we’ve had so far. Following a baffling, nearly marketing-free rollout following its reveal at The Game Awards 2025, it crashed into a wall of negative reviews, but developer Wildlight Entertainment was quick to react. Now, the sentiment is more positive following 5v5 matches being tested and locked – but can it survive the poisoned conversation that’s sprung up around the game so far?

Ahead of the last weekend, a first patch addressed some of the most pressing criticisms, with the devs also deciding to experiment with a limited-time 5v5 mode that could maybe make Highguard’s large maps feel less empty outside the attack and defence phases. It turns out that was a good call, as the Steam reviews have now climbed up to “Mixed” as players (the hopeful ones, at least) engage with a more frenetic and brutal version of the shooter. Thus, the 5v5 queue is staying.

Of course, the conversation on social media and YouTube is far more negative, with the usual suspects using the latest big attempt at breaking into the live-service space as a punching bag instead of downvoting and moving on. There’s a conversation worth having about the industry reaching peak live-service critical mass years ago, sure, but don’t expect grifters to approach any game making waves in good faith.

That said, the reality of the situation is that Highguard is struggling after a confusing launch and due to its objectively under-cooked state. There’s a few too many different shooters in that esports-oriented mix, and not all of them work or play well together. The 5v5 mode is promising in that it actually feels good to play and makes you catch a glimpse of what the game could become in the long run. That is, if there’s a long run for it. We know Wildlight worked on a full-year roadmap for Highguard, but can the game really sustain itself for so long?

The game’s SteamDB profile paints a grim picture, at least on PC, with the concurrent players chart steadily going down since Highguard opened its gates on 26th January. 3,157 players are inside the game at the time of writing, with 8,404 at its 24-hour peak. Positive reviews are up, yes, and even surpassing the negative ones now, but these numbers aren’t what you want to see only a week after launch when you’re thinking big with another online shooter.

We don’t have access to the data on consoles yet, but so far, the crossplay capabilities are ensuring that matchmaking is quick, so there might be a bigger interest there that we can’t quantify. In my personal case, I’m now curious about where it could go following the 5v5 update, but having been burned in the past a few too many times by similar shooters, I’m also staying realistic.