Learn all of the details about the new first-person shooter Highguard.
The calendar has officially turned to January 2026, and that means it's time for some new games to start being released. The first major launch of the new year is Highguard, a first-person shooter from some of the former developers of Titanfall and Apex Legends. Highguard received a mountain of attention when its debut trailer aired at The Game Awards in December 2025, but no news from the game has appeared since then.
Fortunately, the release date of Highguard still seems to be on track, and we also know a few other details about the upcoming shooter. Below, you can find out all we currently know about Highguard.
Release date and time for Highguard
During the reveal trailer for Highguard that was showcased at The Game Awards, we got to see exactly when the shooter is going to launch. Currently, the planned release date for Highguard is set for Jan. 26, 2026.
However, if you've been following the game's journey on social media, you might know that the official accounts have not posted anything since its initial reveal in late 2025. Many fans have taken this as a sign that the game is going to be delayed from its Jan. 26 release date. According to sources at esports.gg, though, the release date is staying firm, and Highguard is still working on things behind the scenes.
So, while it might look like Highguard isn't going to meet its release date, you can plan on playing once Jan. 26 comes around. As for what exact time on Jan. 26 you can expect to start playing, that's still unknown. With the game seemingly trying to go a "shadowdrop" route, we could see a release time during the morning or the middle of the day in the Eastern Time Zone.
What platforms is Highguard playable on?
Now that you know the release date of Highguard, what platforms is the game coming to? As confirmed by the developers and the reveal trailer, Highguard is playable on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. There is no current plan to bring the game to last-gen consoles or the Nintendo Switch 1+2.
As Highguard is free-to-play, you can also expect it to be a digital-only game that's downloadable straight from your platform's marketplace. Of course, there will all but certainly be micro-transactions in Highguard that cost real money, but the game itself is completely free to download and play.
What kind of game is Highguard?
If you're planning to hop into Highguard at some point, you'll want to know what you're in for.
According to the developers, Highguard is a PvP raid first-person shooter that focuses on character abilities, similar to how a hero shooter, like Marvel Rivals, operates. Players will take control of Wardens, who are described as "arcane gunslingers" that fight for control over one continent. Matches in Highguard will consist of teams of these Wardens fighting against each other on different maps.
Unlike other hero shooters, though, Highguard evolves as a match goes on. Once a team pushes the enemy team back enough, they'll gain control of the "Shieldbreaker." The Shieldbreaker is where the raid gameplay comes into focus, as the team with the Shieldbreaker needs to keep pushing into the enemy team's base and establish their presence. The enemy team, on the other hand, needs to do all they can to stop this from happening.
It seems like an intriguing new layer of strategy to the FPS and hero shooter genres, but Highguard will need to deliver smoother and engaging gameplay to stand out in a crowded market.
We'll have more news and guides on Highguard once it launches, so stay tuned.
