From Press Release:
Los Angeles, Calif. — January 26, 2026 — Today, Wildlight Entertainment, an independent studio, officially launches Highguard, its debut free-to-play PvP raid shooter, available now on PC, Xbox® Series X|S, and PlayStation® 5, with full cross-play. Built by a veteran team behind Apex Legends™, Titanfall™, and Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare, Highguard introduces a new competitive structure that blends siege warfare and territory control in an evolving match where power levels escalate until only one base is left standing.
Players step into the boots of Wardens, arcane gunslingers sent to fight for control of a mythical continent where magic, gunfire, and siege warfare collide:
- Teams of three select a unique base and fortify their defenses, then ride out across vast, uncharted lands to loot, harvest resources, and upgrade their gear while clashing with a rival Warden crew.
- As magical storms roll in, teams battle over the Shieldbreaker, a powerful sword required to breach enemy defenses. Carrying the Shieldbreaker to the opposing base triggers a full raid—forcing teams to attack, defend, adapt, and escalate in power as the match continues.
- Most of the time, victory doesn’t come with a single raid. When that happens, the enemy base shields repair, the siege tower dissipates, and the fight escalates as loot, gear, and weapons all upgrade in the field, and a new Shieldbreaker forms in a different location in the world. From there, the fight for control continues—until only one base is left standing.
“We know there’s a lot of eyes on us after our Game Awards trailer debut, and today is finally the time to show the world what we mean by a PvP Raid Shooter. We built Highguard around a loop that doesn’t really exist anywhere else,” said Chad Grenier, Co-Founder & Game Director at Wildlight Entertainment. “Every match is about escalation: fortifying, venturing out, clashing, then mounting coordinated raids and defenses until only one base is left standing.”
A Competitive PvP Experience Built for Variety and Replayability
Each Warden is built specifically for Highguard’s PvP Raid Mode. Wardens combine guns, raid tools, and arcane abilities, each designed to support raiding, destruction, defense, infiltration, resource acquisition, and open-world combat.Mounts allow teams to move quickly across massive maps, fight on the move, and transport the Shieldbreaker. Magical abilities supplement combat, but Highguard is still a gun game at its core. Gunplay remains central, with abilities and tools adding tactical depth.
At launch, the game features a wide array of content: five large-scale maps, six distinct bases, eight Wardens, three mount types, ten weapons, three raid tools, eleven weapon and raid-tool mods, and a wide range of lootable items. More content will be added via seasonal updates.
Built With Long-Term Play in Mind
Wildlight brings decades of experience operating live-service shooters at scale, applying those lessons to Highguard’s launch and beyond, with a full year of post-launch content already deep in development. Highguard’s live service is built around Episodes—each lasting roughly two months and split into two parts—with new core content arriving each month throughout 2026, including content such as maps, bases, modes, Wardens, weapons, mounts, raid tools, and additional loot items.Core gameplay content—including new maps, bases, Wardens, and modes—will always be free, delivered through regular updates, with the first wave arriving in two weeks following launch. All in-game purchases are cosmetic only, direct purchase only, with no effect on gameplay and no loot boxes or RNG.
“Launch is a huge moment. But our team builds franchises that stand the test of time, and we’re in this for the long haul,” said Dusty Welch, Co-Founder and CEO of Wildlight. “Success for us is a healthy, growing global community that’s enjoying the game—and a team that’s energized by engaging with players and surprising them with new experiences over time.”
All players receive the Episode One War Chest free forever, featuring 44 items, including 11 legendary skins and emotes for Wardens, weapons, and mounts. Highguard launches as a free-to-play experience, growing this new universe alongside its player community over time. For more information, visit www.playhighguard.com, and follow Wildlight Entertainment on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
About Wildlight Entertainment
Wildlight Entertainment is an independent game studio built by a close-knit team of veteran developers behind some of the industry’s most influential shooters, including Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Wildlight is committed to delivering genre-defining, player-first experiences at epic quality and scale. The studio is remote-first and prides itself on keeping teams nimble, empowering developers to make decisions, and fostering a culture of trust that encourages bold ideas and creative risk-taking. Wildlight’s debut title, Highguard, marks the first chapter in a connected universe the studio plans to grow over the next decade. For more information, visit https://www.wildlight.gg/. Follow Wildlight Entertainment on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
