Highguard, the high-fantasy shooter from former Respawn Entertainment devs, will receive six major updates in 2026, introducing new playable characters, weapons, maps, and more.
Developer Wildlight Entertainment revealed all the content players can expect both at launch and coming throughout the year as part of its "2026 Game Plan" roadmap.
At launch, Highguard will include 8 playable Wardens (aka heroes), as well as 10 weapons, three raid tools, five maps, six bases, and three mounts to choose from (a horse, cat, and bear).
After launch, the roadmap outlines six major "episode" updates, one every two months starting in February. Each update will be broken into two parts and will add a new playable Warden, with most updates also set to include a new weapon or map.
The first major update in February, titled Episode 2, will additionally add a ranked mode and mount, according to the roadmap. Part two of Episode 2 will add another raid tool and base. Starting in Episode 3 in April, other additions will include new mods, types of loot, and amulets.
In a recent hands-on Highguard preview, GameSpot's Jordan Ramée said the new shooter plays slower than some of its contemporaries like Apex Legends, but maintains the great feeling movement fans have come to expect from developers previously associated with games like Titanfall.
Unlike many hero shooters, Highguard's format is more unconventional, with teams attempting to defend bases, gather resources, and battle it out across the map. The goal is to destroy the opposing team's base by breaching its shields and planting a bomb. In our preview, we said Highguard "is a tug-of-war that encapsulates both the tense exploration and pot shooting of battle royales and the frantic close-quarters combat of tactical shooters."
While Highguard was revealed at the very end of the 2025 The Game Awards, the game went largely radio silent in the following weeks. Wildlight is finally breaking the silence with a launch-day livestream to share more about what players can expect, though Highguard is also now available to play for free on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, so you can form your own opinion.
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Developer Wildlight Entertainment revealed all the content players can expect both at launch and coming throughout the year as part of its "2026 Game Plan" roadmap.
At launch, Highguard will include 8 playable Wardens (aka heroes), as well as 10 weapons, three raid tools, five maps, six bases, and three mounts to choose from (a horse, cat, and bear).
After launch, the roadmap outlines six major "episode" updates, one every two months starting in February. Each update will be broken into two parts and will add a new playable Warden, with most updates also set to include a new weapon or map.
The first major update in February, titled Episode 2, will additionally add a ranked mode and mount, according to the roadmap. Part two of Episode 2 will add another raid tool and base. Starting in Episode 3 in April, other additions will include new mods, types of loot, and amulets.
In a recent hands-on Highguard preview, GameSpot's Jordan Ramée said the new shooter plays slower than some of its contemporaries like Apex Legends, but maintains the great feeling movement fans have come to expect from developers previously associated with games like Titanfall.
Unlike many hero shooters, Highguard's format is more unconventional, with teams attempting to defend bases, gather resources, and battle it out across the map. The goal is to destroy the opposing team's base by breaching its shields and planting a bomb. In our preview, we said Highguard "is a tug-of-war that encapsulates both the tense exploration and pot shooting of battle royales and the frantic close-quarters combat of tactical shooters."
While Highguard was revealed at the very end of the 2025 The Game Awards, the game went largely radio silent in the following weeks. Wildlight is finally breaking the silence with a launch-day livestream to share more about what players can expect, though Highguard is also now available to play for free on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, so you can form your own opinion.
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