5 March 2026

Highguard Reveals Patch Notes for Its Final Update

By newsgame

Highguard will receive its final ever update at 4 PM PST today, March 4, as developer Wildlight Entertainment prepares the shooter for an imminent shutdown just weeks after it was first released. Highguard‘s farewell update will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in a few hours, bringing tons of new content for players to check out during its final days, including account progression, a skill tree, a new Warden, and much more.

It’s been a short-lived life for Highguard. The PvP raid shooter took the coveted final spot at last year’s Game Awards ceremony, surprising many as titles like Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, Tomb Raider: Catalyst, and Divinity were all strong contenders to close out the show with a bang. Instead, host Geoff Keighley apparently enjoyed his time with Highguard so much during an early hands-on session that he insisted on its reveal being at the event. Developer Wildlight Entertainment, which is formed of industry veterans who had previously worked on the likes of Apex Legends and Battlefield 6, was initially planning to shadow drop the game at the end of January. But even with all of the extra exposure, Highguard didn’t manage to find the playerbase it had hoped for.

Highguard is Scratching an Itch I Didn’t Know I Had

Highguard is the internet’s latest punching bag, but while it’s far from a perfect game, it’s scratching an itch I didn’t even know I had.

Highguard Set to Release Final Update Later Today

Earlier this week, Wildlight Entertainment announced the news that the gaming community had been expecting for the last few weeks: Highguard is officially shutting down. Servers will remain operational until March 12, and those who have stuck around since launch will have some brand-new content to check out thanks to a final farewell update. The patch will go live for all supported platforms at 4 PM PST on March 4, and will mark the end of support for the free-to-play title. According to the patch notes, which can be found further down this article, the update is adding account progression, where players can level up and earn XP and Skill Points to be spent on the new Skill Tree. There’s also a new Warden, known as Koldo, and a new weapon, the Switchback Shotgun.

Balance the critic averages

Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)

Much like Concord, which had an even shorter life span, the cause of Highguard‘s failure will be a topic of debate for quite some time. However, a former developer at Wildlight Entertainment believes the shooter was doomed to fail due to the studio leaning too far into the competitive scene. Alex Garner, who was the senior level designer for Highguard, said that going all-in on the 3v3 mode for the game was likely where its downfall lay. The developer noted how 3v3 modes are always the “sweatiest version” of things like Battle Royale, objective modes, and much more. “I think that was the biggest thing that turned a lot of players off Highguard,” the former Wildlight dev said.

Unfortunately, the game’s shutdown hasn’t been much of a surprise. At launch, Highguard managed to peak at nearly 100,000 concurrent players on Steam. But that number soon dwindled, and fast. Just last week, Highguard reached a brutal new low, falling to as low as 253 concurrent players on the platform. Of course, this doesn’t take into account how many were playing on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but Steam numbers can be somewhat of an indicator of how a game is performing. Although we will never know the official console stats for the shooter, there clearly weren’t enough players to keep the game alive.

It’s unclear what Highguard‘s shutdown means for those who remain at Wildlight Entertainment, as it has yet to be confirmed if the studio intends to go back to the drawing board and develop a new title or if the studio will also be closing. Less than a month after the release of Highguard, Wildlight announced layoffs at the studio. In a statement posted to its social media accounts, Wildlight said it had made the difficult decision to part ways with a number of employees. At the time, it said that a core group of developers would be sticking around to continue supporting Highguard, but it’s now unknown what the future holds for those left at the studio.

Highguard Final Update Patch Notes

Account Progression

You’ll now level up your account level just by playing the game. As you return to the lobby, you’ll gain XP, level up, and earn Skill Points to be spent on the new Skill Tree!

Everyone’s account will start at level 0, and goes to level 100.

Your first level acquired will reward you with 5 Skill points. Afterwards, you receive 1 skill point per level up until level 40 for a total of 44 points to spend. This allows players to choose up to two skill trees to max.

Skill Tree

The Skill Tree is designed for players to build out their upgrades in 4 distinct playstyles. Each branch has a variety of options for players to choose from, with 2 tiers of power on all small nodes. Here is a list of what each branch focuses on, along with a few examples.

Raider– for players looking to be unstoppable during Raids, along with some buffs and abilities focused on general combat efficiency.
- Infiltration – while raiding, zipline further into the enemy base
- Juggernaut – destroying a wall provides a short duration overshield
- Spearhead – you receive a Domesplitter and a Thumper Charge when your Siege Tower rolls in
Harvester– for players who are looking to increase their Vesper gain and the power of their Warden Axe
- Heavy Swing – you swing your axe with two hands, instantly destroying Vesper Nodes
- Shatter Orb – destroy enemy soul orbs with your Throwing Axe or Regular Axe Swing
- Field Crafting – Create Armor, Equipment and Raid Tools in the battlefield
Treasure Hunter
– for those players who love to loot
- Treasure Seeker – hidden chests can be found and opened at PoIs
- Archaeologist – Can sell items to Trader Flynn
- Artifact Mastery – Amulets have a bonus magical property when equipped
Protector– for players who enjoy defending and keeping the team together
- Resonant Walls – reinforced walls are more durable
- Unbreakable Armor – once every 2 minutes, armor loss is prevented on death
- Vanguard – while defending your base, allies can spawn on you

You can unequip a skill easily, and you can Reset all your points at no cost by clicking the button at the bottom.

We’ve tuned the XP gain to be very fast so players can earn points quickly and enjoy the full spectrum of the feature.

New Warden – Koldo

An old soul bound to protect the lost continent of Highguard

Koldo was discovered on Highguard. A lost soul from long before the continent disappeared, trapped inside a suit of armor, he searches for answers to his past. Koldo uses the power of his soul to protect his allies.

Passive: Guardian Angel

Protect any friendly orbs around you from destruction.

Automatically deploy your shield when reviving allies.

Tactical: Soul Shield

Deploy a shield for you and your allies.

Ultimate: Battle Cry

Koldo raises a standard that creates a protective dome. He can pick up and carry the standard, and drop it again at will.

Being inside the dome gives allies faster health regeneration.

New Weapon – The Switchback

Long range double-barrel shotgun

The Switchback brings unparalleled versatility, comfortably handling both close range and long range encounters. When used in hipfire, it’s a shotgun. Aiming down the sights will transition the weapon into a marksman rifle.

The name “Switchback” originates from its unique double-barrel design. You’re able to rapidly shoot twice before needing a rechamber, though you also can pace your shots to keep up a continuous stream of fire.

In the field, many Wardens have sought to wield the Switchback. Only a few have truly learned to master it.

Gold Versions

The Switchback has 2 gold versions that can be found in loot chests, or with Trader Flynn.