A bold move by the Highguard devs might just be the game-changer they need to keep players engaged. With a nosediving player count, the team at Wildlight is not backing down from their free-to-play raid shooter. Their latest strategy? Introducing a 5v5 mode, a significant departure from the game's initial 3v3 format.
On January 30th, the official Highguard Twitter account announced the exciting news, promising an all-new limited-time mode. This update comes after a challenging launch on January 26th, where player numbers struggled to stay afloat, as indicated by SteamDB data.
"We heard the feedback," the Highguard team acknowledged. "For the weekend, we're experimenting with a 5v5 Raid Mode. This is a separate playlist, not replacing the beloved 3v3 Raids. The lobby now accommodates parties of 5 while this mode is live."
The new mode is part of a live patch now available on consoles and PC. Wildlight Entertainment warns that adding more players might cause performance issues, but they're willing to take that risk to enhance the game's excitement and reduce the pressure on players during team battles.
Highguard's journey has been a rollercoaster since its announcement at the 2025 Game Awards. The final teaser failed to impress, leading to a period of silence and a surge of angry comments and confused gamers. Despite a promising start with nearly 100k concurrent players, Highguard's player count has since plummeted, with negative reviews flooding its Steam page.
But here's where it gets controversial: Will this bold 5v5 mode be the savior Highguard needs, or is it too little, too late? Can a simple mode change turn around a game's fortunes, or is Highguard destined to join the growing list of live-service game flops?
What do you think? Is this a smart move by Wildlight, or are they just delaying the inevitable? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
