Highguard FADING? New Action Mode Could SAVE It!

Ouch. Highguard, the extraction shooter that seemed poised to make a splash earlier this year, is struggling. Badly. Developer Wildlight is pulling out all the stops to keep players engaged, and frankly, it looks like they're throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. I've seen this happen before, and it's never a good sign.

Highguard FADING? New Action Mode Could SAVE It!

The numbers don’t lie. According to SteamDB, Highguard peaked at a measly 694 concurrent players yesterday. Let that sink in. Just a few weeks ago, in early February, the game was cruising along with around 13,000 daily players. What happened? Well, plenty of things likely contributed, from the usual launch hype dying down to potential balance issues or just plain old lack of compelling endgame content. Whatever the reason, Wildlight clearly recognizes they have a problem, and they're moving fast.

Their Hail Mary? A brand new game mode called Raid Rush, dropping tomorrow, February 27th, at 5pm GMT. Described as a "fast-paced" experience, Raid Rush essentially throws out the looting and exploration aspects that define the extraction shooter genre and focuses solely on base attack and defense. Think Counter-Strike meets... well, a very stripped-down version of Highguard.

Here's the gist: two teams of five duke it out, alternating between offense and defense. Base repairs are automatic, armor is standardized and gets progressively better each round, and the only time you'll need to interact with a Trader is to buy stuff. The goal is clearly to streamline the gameplay, removing any friction that might be turning players off. It's all about getting straight to the action, a desperate attempt to recapture that initial thrill.

Will it work? Honestly, it's a gamble. On one hand, a faster, more focused mode might appeal to players who found the original Highguard a bit too slow or grindy. On the other hand, stripping away the core elements of an extraction shooter runs the risk of alienating the remaining dedicated players who actually enjoyed the looting and resource management aspects. It's a tough call. Wildlight is also promising various quality-of-life improvements and balance adjustments alongside Raid Rush, which could also help. But let's be real, they need a miracle.

I'll be keeping an eye on the player counts after the update drops. For now, it's a wait-and-see game. Highguard is at a critical juncture, and Raid Rush could either be the shot in the arm it desperately needs, or the final nail in the coffin.