Highguard: Everything you need to know about the new F2P shooter

Highguard screenshots
(Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment)

Highguard is almost here, and if you love fast-paced titles with plenty of guns and bullets flying, you'll want to start grabbing for your wallets. If you missed its big reveal during The Game Awards 2025 showcase, Highguard is a new first-person shooter from Wildlight Entertainment, a studio staffed by former Respawn vets, many of whom helped shape some of the best FPS games like Titanfall and Apex Legends.

After its reveal during The Game Awards, there was a lot of discussion around Highguard; however, you may be wondering about what is going on with the shooter, as it's been a bit quiet since its big reveal. Well, that's where we come in. Below, you can find out everything we know so far about the new game, including the first gameplay details and the release date. The good news is that if you like what you see, you won't need to wait long to get your hands on Highguard, because it's coming sooner than expected.

Highguard release date

Highguard screenshots

(Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment)

Highguard may have only been announced on December 12, 2025, the final reveal for The Game Awards 2025, but the upcoming PvP shooter is coming sooner than you might think. In fact, Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed that the Highguard release date is set for January 26, 2026, where it will land as a full, free-to-play release – no early access here!

Highguard platforms

Highguard screenshots

(Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment)

When Highguard lands on January 26, it'll be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Developer Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed that Highguard will land with full cross-play and cross-platform support, meaning that you can dive into this FPS online with your friends across all available platforms from day one.

Highguard trailer

Highguard World Premiere Trailer from The Game Awards 2025 - YouTube Highguard World Premiere Trailer from The Game Awards 2025 - YouTube
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The first Highguard trailer landed at The Game Awards 2025, where Geoff Keighley positioned the PvP shooter as the final reveal of the night. It's a huge vote of confidence from the show's producer, and you can view the first gameplay trailer above to see why!

Highguard gameplay

Highguard screenshots

(Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment)

Highguard is a PvP first-person shooter where you assume the role of a Warden, an "arcane gunslinger sent to fight for control of a mythical continent." Highguard has two key components that set it apart from shooters like Apex Legends, Valorant, and other fast-paced arena shooters which this appears on the surface to share so much DNA with. The first is that initial stages of combat have you engaging in direct combat with rival Warden crews, pushing to gain control of the 'Shieldbreaker'.

Once the Shieldbreaker is in your possession, the shape of the game changes. It's here where Highguard introduces its 'raid' elements, pushing your crew to break into and destroy an enemy base to secure their territory. It's a neat concept, and certainly adds a new wrinkle to the FPS genre for anybody growing a little tired of traditional battle royales and hero shooters.

Outside of this unique setup, you can expect a blend of futuristic weapons and medieval-looking mounts/vehicles, an array of powers to wield, and a degree of destructibility to the environments. There's still a lot we need to learn, but thankfully we don't have long to wait now – with Highguard landing in late January.

Highguard development

Highguard screenshots

(Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment)

Highguard is the debut game from Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded in 2021 by former Respawn Entertainment veterans who worked across the likes of Apex Legends and Titanfall. The studio has been quietly working on Highguard for the last four years, revealing the title at The Game Awards 2025.


For more information on new releases, you can check out our guides on all the upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games on the way.

Josh West
Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

Josh is Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 18 years experience in both online and print journalism, and was awarded a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Josh has contributed to world-leading gaming, entertainment, tech, music, and comics brands, including games™, Edge, Retro Gamer, SFX, 3D Artist, Metal Hammer, and Newsarama. In addition, Josh has edited and written books for Hachette and Scholastic, and worked across the Future Games Show as an Assistant Producer. He specializes in video games and entertainment coverage, and has provided expert comment for outlets like the BBC and ITV. In his spare time, Josh likes to play FPS games and RPGs, practice the bass guitar, and reminisce about the film and TV sets he worked on as a child actor.

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