Highguard: Free PvP Shooter Announced for PS5, Xbox & PC
▼ Summary
– Wildlight Entertainment, founded by creators of Apex Legends and Titanfall, has announced a new free-to-play PvP raid shooter called Highguard.
– Highguard is scheduled for release on January 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam, featuring cross-play and cross-progression.
– The studio’s leadership emphasizes their veteran team’s experience and focus on creating a new, uncompromised gaming universe of epic scale.
– In the game, players become Wardens, arcane gunslingers who battle rival crews to seize a Shieldbreaker and destroy enemy bases to secure territory.
– The announcement was accompanied by a trailer and the first screenshots of the game.
A new contender is entering the competitive shooter arena, and it comes from a team with a proven track record. Highguard, a free-to-play PvP raid shooter, has been officially announced for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The game is slated for release on January 26, 2026, and will feature full cross-play and cross-progression support from day one. This ambitious project is the debut title from Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded by veterans responsible for blockbuster franchises like Apex Legends and Titanfall.
The studio’s leadership emphasizes a philosophy of uncompromising creative vision. “We’re a veteran team who’ve spent years together, creating some of the biggest hits in gaming,” stated Wildlight Entertainment co-founder and CEO Dusty Welch. “With our first game, we are hyper-focused on creating a new gaming universe of similarly epic scale and quality.” This sentiment is echoed by co-founder and game director Chad Grenier, who highlighted the lessons learned from their previous work. “We created Wildlight because we wanted a game studio where design leads and new games can be built without compromise,” Grenier explained.
So, what exactly is Highguard? Described as a player-versus-player raid shooter, the game casts players as Wardens, arcane gunslingers battling for dominance over a mythical continent. The core gameplay loop involves crews of Wardens clashing to seize a powerful artifact called the Shieldbreaker. Once a team secures it, their objective shifts to a daring offensive: breaking into the enemy’s fortified base to destroy it and claim the territory. This fusion of dynamic combat and strategic objective-based play aims to carve out a unique niche in the genre.
The announcement arrives alongside a cinematic trailer and a gallery of screenshots, offering the first glimpse into Highguard’s world. With its pedigree, free-to-play model, and emphasis on cross-platform functionality, Wildlight Entertainment is clearly positioning Highguard to be a major, long-term player in the live-service shooter space. The January 2026 release date gives the team substantial development time to refine their vision for this new breed of competitive experience.
(Source: Gematsu)
