Highguard studio CEO says "the toxicity is challenging," wonders if The Game Awards reveal was the right decision: "I'm going to continue to ask myself"

1. Games
2. FPS Games
3. Highguard

Highguard studio CEO says "the toxicity is challenging," wonders if The Game Awards reveal was the right decision: "I'm going to continue to ask myself" News By Jordan Gerblick published 30 January 2026

"Was there a different way? Was there a better way? And I don’t know the answer to that yet today"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment) Share Share by:

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google

Wildlight CEO Dusty Welch is conflicted about whether Highguard's peculiar and controversial reveal at The Game Awards 2025 was a good decision, especially as he struggles with toxicity in the wake of the game's rocky launch this week.

Originally planned to be shadow-dropped after about four years in development, Highguard was announced as the final reveal of last year's Game Awards – a coveted spot usually reserved for much more high-profile projects – reportedly, after some convincing from host Geoff Keighley. The free-to-play shooter from Wildlight, a studio comprised of former Apex Legends and Titanfall developers, failed on the global stage to wow viewers with its fairly generic looking fantasy world, heroes, and abilities. Huh, another live-service hero shooter, was the general vibe.

In retrospect, Welch admitted to Bloomberg that, "We didn't do a great job with our trailer ... We own that." One thing he's less sure about, however, is whether it was the right call to reveal Highguard at The Game Awards after all.

You may like

• "I wish Highguard had been received better," CEO admits, after cancelling a planned Apex Legends-style shadow drop
• Hours after launch, Highguard has "Mostly Negative" reviews and a peak of 97,000 players on Steam
• Highguard will hold a launch showcase next week after 43 days of silence following odd Game Awards reveal

"That's an incredibly fair question, and it's one I ask myself quite a bit," he told Bloomberg. "It's one that I'm going to continue to ask myself for a period of time. If we are wildly successful, I will still ask myself that because I'm interested in the business side and how we communicate to players and press. And was that the right way? Was there a different way? Was there a better way? And I don’t know the answer to that yet today."

Whether you chalk it up to live-service fatigue, the game's reveal, or actual questionable game design, there's no denying the general reaction to Highguard has not been very positive. While critical reviews are still trickling in, the overall reception that seems to be forming, although still fluid, is mixed at best. To this day, Welch isn't sure if the shooter's now infamous Game Awards trailer had anything to do with the blowback.

"The toxicity is challenging, and it’s debatable whether we would've had more or less or the same by doing the Game Awards," he said. "I don’t know, and we'll never know the answer to that. But I think that that's an angle that has to be considered going forward for anyone in game development."

For me, the noise around Highguard's launch has made it a little tricky to figure out whether it's actually any good or not, especially since there still aren't a whole lot of critical reviews. Steam reviews are "mostly negative," but those shoot way up to "mostly positive" if you filter them by people with over three hours of playtime. Of course, if you like the game enough to play for three hours, you're probably a lot more likely to say positive things about it, but there's also an argument to be made that people who invest the time to become comfortable with Highguard's somewhat complex systems and match structure, perhaps are finding that it's more than just a lazy mishmash of popular shooters doomed to fail, as many reviews suggest.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

For what it's worth, I took matters into my own hands and installed the game last night, and found myself thoroughly whelmed after a couple of games. I haven't played nearly enough to form anything resembling a concrete opinion, but I will say I'm not exactly dying to play more right now. That said, it ran like an absolute champ on my ancient RX 580-equipped PC, so it deserves credit for that.

Highguard's first big patch came this week with a bunch of performance improvements, and just today, Wildlight announced a limited time 5v5 mode seemingly in response to complaints about map size, which I can confirm is definitely an issue in the main 3v3 mode. It seems the studio has taken an extremely reactive approach to player feedback, so it's very hard to say what form(s) Highguard will take from here.

New fantasy FPS Highguard has a full year of post-launch content "deep in development," split up into episodes to counteract "live-service fatigue": "We're building a game that people want to come back to"

CATEGORIES Xbox Series X PS5 PC Gaming Platforms Xbox PlayStation Jordan GerblickSocial Links Navigation

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

Show More Comments

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more "I wish Highguard had been received better," CEO admits, after cancelling a planned Apex Legends-style shadow drop    Hours after launch, Highguard has "Mostly Negative" reviews and a peak of 97,000 players on Steam    Highguard will hold a launch showcase next week after 43 days of silence following odd Game Awards reveal    New FPS Highguard has a full year of updates "deep in development," split up to counteract "live-service fatigue"    Highguard's Steam rating goes from 'Mostly Negative' to 'Mostly Positive' when filtering reviews by playtime    Baldur's Gate 3 publishing lead says "game development runs on optimism" as the industry comes to Highguard's defense    Latest in FPS Games 12 Highguard tips and tricks for new Wardens to help your team run riot while raiding    Highguard gets its first major patch, dev says it "significantly" improves overall stability and reduces crashes by 90%    All Highguard weapons for your loadout and raiding, and the best ones to use    Baldur's Gate 3 publishing lead says "game development runs on optimism" as the industry comes to Highguard's defense    I love Highguard's 2Fort-style sieges – when they actually happen    How Highguard crossplay works and how to play with your friends    Latest in News Highguard boss says "the toxicity is challenging," will "continue to ask" if The Game Awards reveal was right decision    "I felt empty inside. I needed more Silksong": Hollow Knight Silksong player builds ultimate boss with Reddit-voted mods    Skyrim lead says Game of Thrones author should say HBO "finished my work and now I want to do something new"    Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara dead at 71    '90s horror game revival on Steam stuns Nightdive lead who's "been tracking down these rights for almost a decade"    The highest-rated new Steam game of 2026 is a $6 fantasy mech shooter that feels like a PS1 nod to Armored Core    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1This hidden role board game makes me feel like a puppet master, so Traitors fans should listen up
2. 2Cairn review: "This climber has a grip on me – even when it loses its footing with awkward systems, the challenge remains surmountable"
3. 3The Doom Arena Board Game is hell on Earth (in the best way) | Preview
4. 4This award-winning board game is a five star must-have
5. 5Code Vein 2 review: "This vampire take on Elden Ring almost works, but the dungeons themselves lack bite"

1. 1Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
2. 228 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
3. 3Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
4. 4Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
5. 5Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"

1. 1Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
2. 2Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
3. 3A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
5. 5Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”