Highguard launches to brutal Steam reviews — a disastrous debut for the new PvP shooter

Highguard finally hit Steam, and players immediately hit back. The new PvP shooter is drowning in negative reviews, with complaints ranging from bugs to balance issues to “why did this even launch today?” vibes. It’s not the debut anyone was hoping for.

After its overwhelmingly poor reception when it closed out Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards last year, Highguard seemed primed for a major redemption push, with people expecting a huge marketing push after the game's reveal.

Instead, the developer opted for near radio silence. That only changed a couple of days before the launch event, which took place today and doubled as a full release across Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5.

For those unfamiliar with Highguard, it is a 3v3 PvP raid shooter that blends traditional gunplay with mounted combat, including horses, and other fantasy-inspired elements.

How players are reacting to Highguard’s release

Believe it or not, I am actually rooting for Highguard. More games in this space is a good thing, and different titles that try to blend genres are rarely a bad idea.

Since the game’s first reveal, however, it has felt like almost everyone except Geoff Keighley himself has had it out for the project, as he was the only person seemingly marketing the game before its launch today. Now that the game is finally here, at least on Steam, that sentiment does not appear to have shifted.

Just a few hours after launch, Highguard’s Steam rating is already sitting at Overwhelmingly Negative. Many reviews come from players with only a couple of hours logged, but the complaints are largely consistent.

The most common criticism focuses on map size and pacing. Players argue that the large maps do not suit a three-player squad, making matches feel stretched and, at times, uneventful. Others say the game simply does not stand out enough to justify the experience.

Highguard is free to play, so there is still time for knee-jerk reactions and low-effort reviews to fade out. Even so, it is not an encouraging start for a shooter that was already fighting an uphill battle.

This is only one side of the coin. While not all reviews are currently in, several critics have already highlighted positives, particularly Highguard’s core gameplay and its blend of different elements.

For now, the developers are not chasing a massive player count. Instead, the focus appears to be on building a smaller, dedicated core audience, and that approach is not inherently a bad thing.

Whether Highguard can avoid the Concord 2.0 comparisons long-term remains to be seen. That said, with a reported peak of nearly 100k concurrent players on Steam, it has already surpassed Concord’s peak of 697 players.

Launching a PvP shooter in 2026 is hard enough. Launching one that feels unfinished is a death wish. Highguard’s future now depends on whether the studio can fix things fast enough to stop the bleeding.

Have you tried Highguard yet, and do you think its early Steam reception reflects the game fairly? Let us know by commenting or taking part in our poll below:

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