Highguard’s Silent Approach: A Bold Move or a Mistake?

Last year’s Game Awards left many anticipating monumental announcements, perhaps even something as groundbreaking as Half-Life 3. However, when the moment came, the audience was treated instead to a trailer for an unfamiliar hero shooter titled Highguard, a reveal that did not resonate well.

The immediate backlash on social media was intense. Highguard was perceived as an unwelcome intruder that unexpectedly claimed the spotlight, despite the fact that its developers had not actually paid for the slot, contrary to popular belief. This unveiling has since become a textbook example of how not to roll out a game, but what truly incited outrage was the developer’s subsequent silence.

With Highguard set to debut on Steam next week, the development team has remained largely quiet, issuing only a tweet regarding an upcoming livestream. In a bid to satiate their craving for fresh content to critique in the ongoing social media battleground, users have been left to make do with vague comments about the game’s questionable state.

Despite the pervasive negativity, it seems fair to note that skepticism surrounding games of this nature has reached unprecedented levels. In the case of Highguard, the absence of public beta testing raises eyebrows, especially when considering that Bungie, a seasoned name in the multiplayer shooter realm, has successfully turned public sentiment around after incorporating feedback from playtests for their game Marathon.

Yet, Highguard appears to be launching without any such preparation. It’s understandable to question this strategy. However, I can’t criticize the creators of Highguard for opting to stay out of the spotlight of online criticism.

The barrage of posts and video titles insinuates that it’s odd, even scandalous, that we haven’t been inundated with character trailers, in-depth articles, and developer insights. While their quietness is somewhat out of the ordinary, many games, especially those self-published like Highguard, often do not receive such extensive promotional efforts.

Interestingly, some members of the Highguard team did engage on social media after the announcement, with one developer reflecting, “Day 1 of being a game dev with a public-facing game and I got 75+ quote retweets personally ripping me apart, simply for being excited to share what I poured myself into for years.” Given the nature of the feedback, it seems they might as well let the game do the talking.

There’s no real scandal at play with former developers of popular titles like Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends venturing into making another game. The landscape of gaming communication has evolved significantly, and the norm of silence is a distant memory. In earlier times, developers would emerge only for rare magazine interviews or fan conventions, releasing games that would spark discussions until the next installment arrived.

It’s unlikely we’ll revert to an era where company leaders don’t engage in public disputes on social media or conduct AMAs to pacify fan concerns. For many, silence is a luxury that cannot be afforded in today’s gaming industry. Smaller titles often struggle to gain visibility, and developers from underrepresented backgrounds face personal attacks for attempting to connect with their audience online.

Nevertheless, if one can afford to withdraw from the fray, it’s hard to blame them. As social media, particularly platforms like X, becomes increasingly unbearable, it raises the question of whether more developers will choose to retreat from the ‘we hear your feedback’ mentality and allow the uproar to unfold without their input.

In this instance, the cynical assumptions and demands for Highguard to justify itself have only piqued my curiosity about the game. Perhaps it’s a reflexive act of defiance against a prevailing consensus, or maybe the strategy of silence resonates well with me. Whatever the outcome next week, I am skeptical that it will hinge on whether sufficient marketing was provided. Players will try the game, form their opinions, and this minor controversy will eventually fade into the background.