The Game Awards’ announcement lineup usually follows U-shaped trajectory in terms of estimated hype. Last year, for example, was kicked off with an announcement for The Witcher 4, a game series that left a permanent mark on the industry, and finished with an upcoming title from famous developer Naughty Dog, Intergalactic. This makes for good show, and hooks audiences in for games that they might not check out otherwise, but it’s also a double-edged sword. Saving the first and last for the ‘best,’ or at least what producers think are some of the most anticipated titles, creates certain expectations from audiences. And it seems like the multiplayer shooter Highguard, yesterday’s showstopper, which was announced right before the GOTY results, did not live up to those expectations, and isn’t getting the best reception on social media.
Highguard was introduced by Geoff Keighley on Thursday night with a bombastic credential; a title that’s been developed in “secrecy” by the same team–although not the same studio–that brought the acclaimed Titanfall games to fruition. Despite this, it seems like all across X, Reddit, and the comment section for the announcement trailer the general consensus for the game seems to be lukewarm at best. A brief scroll through the latter will reveal a litany of less-than-favorable comparisons of Highguard to the infamous launch of Concord, multiplayer hero shooter backed by hundreds of millions in budget that was so unanimously disliked by gamers that its servers were shut off in a matter of weeks from its release. Others on X have taken to criticizing the game as what they see as a disappointing and possibly bland title in the current, very competitive multiplayer market. One user on X asserts:
Gamers can be a very reactive community, for sure, and this might be a situation that exists primarily due to a loud vocal minority, but especially for a free-to-play title like Highguard, community opinion can be make-or-break. It’s possible some of this animus comes more from the game’s displacement of popularly wished for announcements like the next installment to Half-Life or Elder Scrolls, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. The sentiment towards big titles like Overwatch–which this game has been compared to by some–is pretty low right now judging in part by the game’s negative reviews on Steam. This doesn’t bode well for Highguard, although it doesn’t refer to itself as a hero-shooter. Only time will tell how the game’s release shakes out because of this, but at least it’s coming out for free within a little over a month on January 26th, so you won’t have to wait too long for the critical and audience verdict.