
- Highguard peaked at over 97,000 concurrent players on Steam during its first 24 hours despite mostly negative reviews.
- Current Steam concurrency sits closer to 16,000 players, which is typical for a new live service PvP launch.
- Including console players, Highguard's total active population is estimated at around 100,000 players.
Live action hero shooters usually struggle to hold attention, but Highguard entered the scene under unusual circumstances. Despite launching with mostly negative Steam reviews, Wildlight Entertainment’s PvP raid shooter has pulled in a surprisingly large audience since its January 26, 2026, release. Or at least, during the first 24 hours of its launch day. Let’s take a closer look at just how the Highguard player count compares to its competition.
First shown at The Game Awards 2025, the game mixes tight FPS combat with magical abilities, mounts, and small-scale 3v3 raids built around destructible Highguard bases. That contrast between rough reception and strong early interest makes its player count worth examining more closely.
Highguard Player Count and Steam Charts
Before we go into details, here are the current and peak active player count numbers for Highguard since its release:
- Peak Player Count: 97,249
- Concurrent Players: 16,617
Highguard Steam Chart
According to SteamDB, Highguard reached an all-time peak of 97,249 concurrent players within its first day on Steam. The 24-hour peak currently matches that figure, showing strong launch day interest following its debut announcement at The Game Awards 2025.
At the time of writing, Highguard is sitting at roughly 16,000 active players, which is a notable drop but not uncommon for a newly released PvP title. Early fluctuations are expected as launch week activity settles.
Highguard Active Players Count
Highguard currently has an estimated active player base of around 100,000 players, combining activity across Steam and consoles. While SteamDB provides a clear picture of PC engagement, PlayStation and Xbox players are not publicly tracked, and hero shooters often see stronger and more consistent engagement on console platforms.
Games like Call of Duty and similar live service shooters typically perform better outside of Steam, suggesting Highguard’s overall population may be healthier than PC numbers alone indicate. As a free-to-play release, cross-platform curiosity has likely boosted early console participation.
Highguard CCU vs Competitor Games Player Count
When compared to established live service shooters, Highguard’s concurrent player count remains modest but respectable for a brand new IP. Games like Apex Legends, Fortnite, and PUBG operate at a vastly different scale, supported by years of content and massive player ecosystems.
Game 30-Day Average Apex Legends 206,450 Overwatch 2 42,868 Fortnite 1,640,951 ARC Raiders 466,372 PUBG: Battlegrounds 314,417 Deadlock 25,128
For a six-player match-focused PvP game, Highguard does not require extreme concurrency to function smoothly, which aligns with the developers’ own expectations. The more important question moving forward is whether the game can retain a stable core audience rather than chase headline numbers.
The Highguard player count picked up the pace at launch, but the question is how long it can sustain. Share your thoughts about Highguard in the comments.
Highguard saw a sharp drop after its launch day peak, but this is common for newly released PvP games and does not account for console players.
SteamDB only tracks PC data, so Highguard’s estimated active player count also factors in untracked PlayStation and Xbox engagement.