Highguard Doesn’t Worry About Player Count

A recent interview regarding Highguard brought to light an unconventional approach to the game’s post-launch performance. Despite the fluctuating situation during the launch period, the development team agrees that measuring success solely by concurrent player numbers is inaccurate and shifts the focus to a longer-term goal.

Highguard Prioritizes Experience Over Player Count

Chad Grenier, co-founder of Wildlight Entertainment and director of the game, emphasized in the interview that they evaluate Highguard’s success not by numbers, but by the connection players form with the game. According to Grenier, whether there are thousands or millions of players, what truly matters is that those experiencing the game enjoy it and that Highguard holds a meaningful place for them.

Highguard, which achieved a very high number of concurrent players on Steam during its launch period, experienced a sharp decline shortly afterward. While this is often interpreted as a sign of “failure,” especially for multiplayer games, Wildlight Entertainment doesn’t consider this data as the sole indicator. The studio views the post-launch period as a learning and improvement process.

One of the most concrete examples of this approach is the 5v5 mode, added to the game based on player feedback and now permanent. Criticisms that the maps were too large for 3v3 led the development team to re-evaluate the game design. Performance improvements and balance adjustments were also implemented with subsequent updates.

Although player numbers have started to decline again, a gradual recovery in user reviews of Highguard is noticeable. Initially met with negative reactions, the game has gradually achieved a more balanced user rating. For Wildlight Entertainment, this is seen as a sign that the game can find its own audience over time, beyond just short-term numbers.

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