Highguard release date, UK launch time, gameplay details, crossplay and more

At last month's Game Awards extravaganza, a team of former Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall, Apex Legends) devs revealed their new studio, Wildlight Entertainment, and along with it, the free-to-play PvP shooter Highguard.

Since then, it's been almost radio silence, prompting many to call it another Concord-esque lead balloon. But fret not, it's still coming out!

So, with all that in mind, here's what you need to know about Highguard, including release date, launch times, platforms, crossplay details and more.

When does Highguard come out? Release date and UK launch time

The Highguard release date is 26th January 2026 at 6pm GMT.

For those of you around the world, here's when that is in your time zone:

• US West Coast (PST) – 10am
• US Mountain (MST) – 11am
• US Central (CST) – 12pm
• US East Coast (EST) – 1pm
• Central Europe (CET) – 7pm
• Singapore (SGT) – 2am, 27th January
• Japan (JST) – 3am, 27th January
• Australia East Coast (AEDT) – 5am, 27th January
• New Zealand (NZDT) – 7am, 27th January

Is Highguard free-to-play?

Yes, Highguard is free-to-play.

While the price of entry will be free, there will no doubt be in-game transactions, such as skins.

Currently, there is no word on season passes or battle passes, but we can assume that they will be a staple, too, as is the case with games such as Fortnite.

Which consoles and platforms can play Highguard?

Highguard is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.

Currently, there is no word of a Nintendo Switch 2 version, but looking at the minimum system requirements for playing it on PC, it seems eminently doable.

Perhaps if Highguard is well received by players, developers Wildlight Entertainment will stretch to a port.

Certainly, expanding the playerbase will help it survive in the long run.

Is Highguard crossplay?

Yes, Highguard supports full cross-play and cross-progression across all launch platforms.

This means that if you play on PC, and you have friends who live in PlayStation and Xbox land, you will all be able to play together, and if you want to play on a different device, your stats will carry over.

Crossplay is crucial for free-to-play multiplayer games, as the bigger its audience, the better chance it has of sticking the landing.

Highguard gameplay details

On the surprisingly spartan Highguard Steam page, developers Wildlight Entertainment describe the game as "a PvP raid shooter where players will ride, fight, and raid as Wardens, arcane gunslingers sent to fight for control of a mythical continent".

It then goes on to say that players will "Battle rival Warden crews for possession of the Shieldbreaker, then break into and destroy the enemy base to secure territory in this all-new breed of shooter".

And that’s quite literally it, other than from what we can glean from the trailer, of which can be viewed just below!

Is there a Highguard trailer?

Yes, there is a Highguard trailer!

The trailer was revealed as part of The Game Awards 2025, and, after a swathe of free-to-play games coming out in the last few years, it would seem that a sort of fatigue has set in, with many deriding the game in the comments.

As Paul Tassi for Forbes points out, every Highguard trailer has “close to a 1:10 negative like/dislike ratio”.

From the footage, Highguard appears to be a perfectly good-looking PvP shooter, with interesting mechanics, classes, weapons and a fairly unique setting.

The reaction is most likely down to how saturated the market has become. What do you think?

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