Highguard Launch Stunner! 100K Players, But Steam Reviews CRUSH Hopes?

Highguard, the new kid on the block making waves in the gaming sphere, finally dropped on Steam last night and the servers *felt* it. We're talking a tidal wave of players eager to dive in, and by all accounts, the launch numbers were pretty darn impressive, hitting almost 100,000 concurrent players right out of the gate.

Highguard Launch Stunner! 100K Players, But Steam ...

SteamDB, the trusty data watchdog, clocked Highguard hitting a peak of 97,249 players around 7 PM GMT. Not bad, eh? Naturally, things calmed down overnight (sleep is important, people!), but the big question now is whether Highguard can maintain that momentum. Will we see similar peaks during the week? Or, even more tantalizingly, can it blow past that initial record this weekend? Only time will tell.

Now, it wouldn't be a game launch without a little drama, would it? And Highguard hasn't been immune. Despite the impressive player count, the game's also been weathering a storm of "Mostly Negative" reviews on Steam. Ouch. The main gripes seem to center around two key things: the size of the maps and the 3v3 game format. Apparently, some players are finding the maps too small, and the 3v3 setup isn't quite clicking for everyone.

It's a bit of a shame, really. I remember the buzz after Highguard's reveal at The Game Awards – it snagged that coveted final headline spot! Then…crickets. Their social media went almost completely dark until practically the eve of release. All we really had to go on before launch was the early reveal of the trophy list, which, let's be honest, isn’t exactly a marketing masterclass.

Look, it's early days. Highguard *could* still build a dedicated fanbase and find its footing. Plenty of games have turned around rough launches. But those initial impressions are crucial, and right now, the road ahead looks a little…bumpy. Whether Highguard can ultimately live up to the hype and silence the critics, or if this is the beginning of a tough slog for developer Wildlight, remains to be seen. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!