About a month ago, the trailer for Highguard closed The Game Awards. The reaction was swift, and merciless. I don't want to dunk on games for the sake of dunking on games, but everybody has noticed that since The Game Awards it has been complete radio silence. For a game that is supposed to release Monday, that's a little bizarre.
We got another tease today from who else but Game Awards Creator Geoff Keighley.
Just 4 days until the launch of @PlayHighguard on Monday on Steam and consoles. pic.twitter.com/QcoMSOtVNO
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) January 22, 2026
If Highguard wasn't happening, you'd figure Keighley would be among the first to know. It's also worth noting that Highguard, a shooter set in what looks like a fantasy setting, comes from people who worked on Apex Legends. That game did a surprise release way back in 2019, and it worked really well for them. But Apex Legends had EA's considerable resources behind it and took place in the already established and well-liked Titanfall universe. This ain't that.
Besides, it's not a surprise release if you drop the final trailer at The Game Awards. The backlash was harsh, but as a marketing team, it's your job to get out there, do damage control, and take back the narrative. People are invoking the name of legendary PlayStation flop Concord right now, and that's not the conversation you want to be a part of.
If you're proud of the work you've done, you should absolutely say that. This silence is speaking volumes. All that said, maybe Highguard is operating on the "no such thing as bad publicity" theory. While they're saying nothing, lots of gamers are talking about Highguard. If the game actually turns out to be good, word could spread fast.
If I had to bet, I'd say Highguard has a tough climb ahead of it. But we don't need another round of layoffs in this industry so in spite of my confusion on their marketing plan, I'm hoping they succeed.