The creators of Highguard were surprised by the negative reaction the game received after its announcement at The Game Awards. However, they still believe it can stand out and succeed despite the many other shooters already available, thanks to its distinctive gameplay.
At a preview event for Highguard, creative and design director Jason McCord told TopMob the team was thrilled with the game’s reveal and eager to get it into the hands of players.
When asked if they anticipated the reaction to the trailer, considering the ongoing discussion around hero shooters, McCord admitted they hadn’t really thought about it. They explained everyone was simply thrilled that night and celebrated at the Game Awards party, just eager to finally share the game with the public.
The team considered a ‘soft launch’ strategy, like the one used by Apex Legends. However, McCord pointed out that it wouldn’t work for a new studio lacking that game’s established reputation.
He mentioned they’d discussed a soft launch, but worried people wouldn’t recognize their brand.
McCord explained that getting the last trailer spot at The Game Awards was a fantastic chance to get the game noticed by players.
“The most important thing for us as a live service game… is to get eyeballs on your game,” he said.
Despite some high-profile hero shooter games failing recently, like Concord, the development team has consistently aimed to create a unique experience players won’t find anywhere else.
He explained that a common worry is whether there’s already too much competition in the market. Players will always want to know what makes a new game special, so developers need a compelling reason for them to pay attention.
He emphasized that the studio didn’t initially set out to create a typical hero shooter. They added hero characters later on because those additions ultimately made the game better.
According to McCord, the game wasn’t originally designed as a ‘hero shooter.’ The hero characters were added later on because they improved the gameplay experience.
Lead designer Carlos Pineda agreed, explaining that seeing competitors struggle led them to re-evaluate their own approach, but ultimately confirmed they were on the right track with Highguard’s unique style.
Ultimately, our game was unique – you couldn’t get it anywhere else. That gave us a lot of confidence.”
McCord admitted the game was hard to define at first, even for the developers, but explained that lots of refinement over the years eventually resulted in a clear and understandable experience for players.
“For the first few years, we were like, what is this game?” he said. “Then we simplified it and simplified it.”
Even though the shooter game market is always changing, the team at McCord believes there’s still potential for new ideas, as long as developers don’t simply copy existing games. As McCord put it, “You can’t just recreate something that’s already been done.”
Highguard is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and is free-to-play.
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2026-01-27 19:23