Highguard adds an experimental 5v5 mode with longer respawns during raids, though it’s ‘not meant to replace 3s’

Highguard has fielded all sorts of opinions since it launched Monday. I’m not huge on it, but PC Gamer staff writer Morgan Park spoke more positively of it in his impressions—though he did say it’s “ill-timed” given the larger shift toward more casual, chaotic fun that shooters are taking right now. It seems like Highguard may already be moving in that direction itself, though, as it’s now toying with a “hectic” alternate format.

“We heard the feedback,” opens the first patch note from the latest post on Highguard’s Steam community blog. The new 5v5 mode was implemented just four days after release on Jan. 30, which is a pretty impressive turnaround time for something added in response to community sentiment. You don’t have to scroll very far down on the Steam reviews or on the game’s subreddit to see people put off by the 3v3 format, as in this thread from user mexicantacothief.

It’s easy to see why. The game’s raid mode is tense and tactical at the best of times, but it never really feels like a ‘raid’: giant battering ram aside, it’s still just six people fighting over a sword and then a handful of buildings. Ten isn’t that much more, but it is more. As someone whose FPS tastes lean far in the direction of games like Team Fortress 2 and Halo’s Big Team Battle, with team sizes big enough that strategy immediately gives way to anarchy, this has me interested in maybe giving Highguard another shot.

Don’t expect this to replace 3v3 as Highguard’s primary format though: “This is a separate playlist and not meant to replace 3’s. 3v3 Raids are still there for people who enjoy it!”

The patch also includes optimization tweaks, a motion blur toggle, and a spooky new base called Soul Well. A dev note in the update blog warns that “adding 4 more players to the game is not going to improve performance,” so “please keep that in mind as you try 5v5!”

It’s interesting to see Highguard iterate on its own formula so soon after launch. Time will tell if the new mode proves more popular than the default 3v3, or if it’s enough to pull the game out of the “Mixed” user reception it’s currently sitting at on Steam.