The last two months have been challenging for Wildlight Entertainment’s Highguard. The game has faced a lot of criticism due to the limited marketing efforts following its announcement at The Game Awards.
But now, we know why.
It was Meant to be a Shadowdrop
During a private event for the press and creators, Jason Torfin, Vice President of Product and Publishing, and Mohammed Alavi, Lead Designer, held a question-and-answer session with attendees.
As anticipated, many people asked about the game’s marketing – or the lack of it. This was because we originally planned to release it unexpectedly, like Apex Legends did. However, Geoff Keighley, host of The Game Awards, disrupted those plans in 2025. He was very excited about the game and wanted to announce it himself.
A recent event highlighted comments from Tofin regarding the development of Highguard. Thanks to XboxEra for sharing, Tofin explained that their independence and careful business practices give them flexibility. Because they aren’t pressured by shareholders or corporate demands, they can take risks and aren’t reliant on immediate commercial success, believing that focusing solely on sales from the start often leads to failure.
We originally planned to release the game unexpectedly, letting the gameplay itself generate the buzz. That was always the idea. Then, Geoff [Keighley] played it last year and really enjoyed it, which gave us an opportunity. We decided to create a trailer for this surprise release, and the one we showed at The Game Awards was meant to be the very first thing people saw, followed by a longer twenty-five-minute gameplay demonstration. Unfortunately, that trailer wasn’t intended to be the main way we explained the game.
Highguard’s marketing wasn’t necessarily bad, but it changed direction frequently, which ultimately hurt their progress for a few months.
People wondered why Highguard wasn’t featured as a paid advertisement in the show’s final trailer – usually reserved for the most impressive content. The answer is simple: Geoff Keighley genuinely enjoyed it. That’s all there is to it!
Whether it means the game is good or not is another story… I guess only time will tell!
What are your predictions for Highguard? Share your opinions in the comments below, and connect with the TopMob community on our official Discord server.
To learn more, TopMob reports that the developers of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 have settled on a title and will continue using Unreal Engine 4. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more updates.
Written by
Tom Henderson
Tom Henderson is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of TopMob, a popular independent video game website. Outside of work, he enjoys playing first-person shooter games like Call of Duty.
More from Tom Henderson
Level Up Your Gaming News
App Store
Google Play
Read More
- How to Unlock the Mines in Cookie Run: Kingdom
- Top 8 UFC 5 Perks Every Fighter Should Use
- Jujutsu Kaisen: Divine General Mahoraga Vs Dabura, Explained
- The Winter Floating Festival Event Puzzles In DDV
- MIO: Memories In Orbit Interactive Map
- Where to Find Prescription in Where Winds Meet (Raw Leaf Porridge Quest)
- Quarry Rescue Quest Guide In Arknights Endfield
- Deltarune Chapter 1 100% Walkthrough: Complete Guide to Secrets and Bosses
- Jujutsu: Zero Codes (December 2025)
- Xbox Game Pass Officially Adds Its 6th and 7th Titles of January 2026
2026-01-26 21:19