Just 4 Days After Launch, Highguard Gets 5v5 Limited Time Game Mode to Counter Those 3v3 Complaints

Highguard developer Wildlight has announced a 5v5 constricted clip crippled mode disposable to each players starting today. It volition tally done the weekend.

The free-to-play PvP raid shooter launched this week and instantly met with a “mostly negative” idiosyncratic reappraisal standing connected Steam, though that has improved successful caller days to ‘mixed.’ Meanwhile, Steam concurrents person fallen aft a highest of astir 100,000, sparking questions astir Highguard’s future.

Chief among the criticisms from players is that the size of the representation feels excessively large and bare for a 3v3 competitory shooter. You’re capable to summon a equine to get astir faster (the mounts are 1 facet of Highguard that players look to universally like), but immoderate thought a 4v4, 5v5, oregon adjacent 3v3v3 mode would person been a amended fit.

Now, conscionable 4 days aft launch, Highguard has a 5v5 mode, albiet for conscionable a fewer days. Today’s update besides introduces a marque caller basal called Soul Well. cheque retired the spot notes below.

“Wardens tin present experimentation with this acheronian relic from a mislaid age, added to rotation successful some 3v3 and 5v5,” Wildlight said. “As 1 of 2 large patches released during motorboat week, this update is emblematic of the Highguard team’s dedication to creating a ‘ready for unrecorded service’ game, resulting successful contiguous action. Just this week, the squad has squashed hundreds of bugs, improved show crossed the board: yesterday’s update, Patch 1.0.4 introduced a assortment of bug fixes, caller video settings, and highly-requested features.”

While the summation of 5v5 should spell immoderate mode to countering that feeling of emptiness successful Highguard, it doesn’t code complaints astir the resource-gathering signifier of each map, which involves what immoderate are calling boring mining and loot farming. Through it each is simply a feeling that Highguard possibly suffered from being the “one much thing” uncover astatine The Game Awards, wherever it mightiness person amended managed expectations successful a slot earlier successful the show. Wildlight unit person indicated they primitively planned a existent Apex Legends-style shadowdrop for Highguard, but The Game Awards main Geoff Keighley asked the squad astir featuring it astatine the extremity of the show. Keighley has suffered a backlash of his own, with immoderate feeling Highguard’ presumption successful The Game Awards’ moving bid overly hyped the game.

It’s a large play for the game, with Steam concurrents hovering astir the 9,000 people astatine the clip of this article’s publication. Wildlight volition beryllium hoping 5v5 gives Highguard the jolt successful the limb it intelligibly needs.

Highguard update January 30, 2026 spot notes:

For our archetypal weekend, we’re excited to driblet an experimental 5v5 Raid playlist, a caller Base and a clump of show improvements for 3v3, on with immoderate much options successful the Settings menus for radical to customize their game.

5v5 Raid Mode - Experimental Playlist

We heard the feedback!

For the weekend, we are experimenting with a 5v5 Raid Mode.

This is simply a abstracted playlist and not meant to regenerate 3’s.

3v3 Raids are inactive determination for radical who bask it!

The lobby has been updated to let for parties of 5 portion the mode is live. Grab 4 friends and leap into immoderate hectic raids!

A fewer tiny tweaks for this mode:

• Raids are present 10 lives alternatively of 6
• Respawns are somewhat longer during raids to let generators to beryllium planted/defused

Dev note: As astir of you know, we are moving connected optimizations crossed the game. Many are successful this spot and 3v3 should spot bully improvements! But… adding 4 much players to the crippled is not going to amended performance, right? Please support that successful caput arsenic you effort 5v5!

Dev enactment 2: Firing Range does not enactment 5v5 astatine this time, truthful the Play fastener volition beryllium grayed retired if your enactment is implicit 3.

New Base - Soul Well

Soul Well is simply a acheronian relic from a mislaid age. The Iron Vigil has present prepared this basal conception for usage successful the tract wherever the dormant inactive speak.

This caller basal volition beryllium added to the rotation successful each modes.

Optimizations

This spot contains respective optimizations that interaction connected animation performance, projectiles, gully submission times, and different gameplay systems. These optimizations payment console and PC, but each PC is different, truthful the nonstop speedup to wide framerate is babelike connected GPU, CPU, and different factors.

Quality of Life

Enabled these ocular settings connected PC and consoles

• Motion blur toggle for PC and consoles
• Anisotropic materials toggle for consoles (PC has this already)

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].