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Highguard’s first updates arrived on Jan. 29 and 30, 2026: a settings and stability patch, then an experimental 5v5 Raid playlist, the Soul Well base, and performance work. The developers promised the new playlist would not replace 3v3; on Feb. 2, they said 5v5 would stay. Wildlight’s separate launch-era plan called for monthly gameplay content, but the studio later announced that Highguard’s servers would shut down on Mar. 12, 2026.
What was Highguard’s first update?
There were two early patches, not one combined release. Wildlight Entertainment’s Jan. 29, 2026, v1.0.4 update focused on settings, stability, and fixes. The first weekend update followed on Jan. 30 with a new playlist, base, and further performance and visual options. Highguard’s official update announcements
Jan. 29: v1.0.4 settings and stability patch
The patch added console field-of-view adjustment up to 110, crouch toggles on all platforms, an aim-down-sights toggle on PC, and additional graphics settings. It also included crash fixes and other bug fixes. Wildlight said its major crash fixes reduced crashes by 90%; that was the developer’s reported figure, not an independently measured result. Highguard’s official update announcements
Jan. 30: the first weekend update
The Jan. 30 update added the experimental 5v5 Raid playlist and Soul Well, a new base available in all modes. It also included performance optimizations for PC and consoles, motion-blur toggles on both platforms, and an anisotropic-materials toggle on consoles. Wildlight cautioned that performance depended on hardware and that 5v5 could run worse because it added more players. Highguard’s official update announcements
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Did Highguard’s 5v5 mode stay?
Yes. The Jan. 30 5v5 Raid playlist began as a weekend experiment, but it was separate from the existing 3v3 playlist. Wildlight explicitly said it was “a separate playlist and not meant to replace 3’s,” in the Highguard development team’s Steam announcement dated Jan. 30, 2026. Highguard’s official update announcements
On Feb. 2, the developers said 5v5 Raid Mode would remain. They cited a fairly even split in participation between 3v3 and 5v5 over the weekend. The Jan. 30 update also changed Raid pacing: teams had ten lives instead of six, and respawns took longer, giving players more time to plant and defuse generators. Highguard’s official update announcements
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What had Wildlight promised for future content?
At launch, Xbox Wire described Highguard as a free-to-play 3v3 first-person raid shooter and reported Wildlight’s plan to release content in two-month chapters, with a new content update or combination of additions each month. The studio said gameplay content would be free and monetized items cosmetic. This was a launch-era plan, not a binding guarantee of an ongoing schedule. Xbox Wire’s launch coverage
In that same launch context, Xbox Wire quoted Wildlight CEO and co-founder Dusty Welch saying, “We didn’t do that well with Apex at launch, and we are extremely well-prepared as we sit here today.” The remark concerned the studio’s preparation for a live-service launch; it was not a promise that Highguard would operate for a particular length of time. Xbox Wire’s launch coverage
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How did the plan end?
On Mar. 3, 2026, Wildlight announced that Highguard would permanently shut down on Mar. 12. The studio said it had not built a sustainable player base for long-term support and reported more than 2 million players since launch. Servers were to remain online until the shutdown date. That announcement ended the intended live-service cadence, though it does not change what the early updates delivered. Highguard’s official update announcements
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