"WE DID IT!": Highguard 5v5 is "here to stay," and players are psyched that the studio is doing what it should've done in the first place

When I played my first Highguard game last week, my literal first thought was: oh, there needs to be more players on this map. The 3v3 raid mode was fun enough, but the map is more than big enough to support, and even benefit from, 4v4, 5v5, or even 6v6 matches. Others felt the same, and so Wildlight very quickly added what was described at the time as a "limited-time" 5v5 mode, and now, the studio says that mode will be permanent.

Over on Twitter, Wildlight says there were about the same amount of people playing 5v5 as the original 3v3 over the weekend, which apparently was all they needed to see.

"You've been asking, and we're happy to share—5v5 Raid Mode is here to stay!" reads the tweet. "We appreciate everyone hopping in over the weekend to give the mode a try. We saw a fairly even split between 3v3 and 5v5, which helped inform our decision."

Unsurprisingly – because again, I strongly think a 5v5 version at launch could've made a positive impact on the game's overall reception – the vibe in the Highguard community is celebratory.

"WE DID IT!" reads a post on Reddit that's attracted almost 200 upvotes in the hour it's been live. "5v5 is permanent everyone!!! I'm so happy right now!"

"YESSSSSS WE ARE SO FAR BACK TO PEAK THAT WE NEVER EVEN LEFT IT," reads one of the top replies. "5v5 absolutely rocks."

"It definitely made a very big difference. Matches were more fast paced and frantic," reads another. "There's still a lot of issues i have with the game but this is a good step."

Skimming through the response on social media, a consensus seems to be forming that the original 3v3 mode is still a worthy component of the game, particularly for those who want a slower-paced, more methodical multiplayer experience, whereas 5v5 is more action-packed and fast-paced, which definitely makes sense considering the closer quarters.

I have to say, I was planning to uninstall Highguard soon, but I'm gonna hold off on that until I get some hands-on time with 5v5, especially now that it's a permanent thing. I can't guarantee it'll change my mind about the game, but there's a solid chance it will since my biggest problem was the map size.

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"