The Game Awards already took place, did they not? And at the end of it, there was that thing of ‘one more thing’ again. Everyone is squeezed in; perhaps the most absurd shadow-drop still, one could hope for or, what do we get? A first glimpse at a completely new FPS called Highguard. And, the best part? It’s not just anyone from the creators of Apex Legends and Titanfall. It is Respawn Entertainment that is operating under the tremendous umbrella of EA. What was the immediate response on social media? Let us just say it was not a standing ovation. It rather resembled a mixture of a collective groan and a very loud, ‘Where is Titanfall 3?!’
The tweet announcing the revelation of the game set the vibe where it referred to the process as ‘slop’ instead of the much-anticipated sequel. And the replies? OMG, they are just one whole mood, a mood that is pure unadulterated salt. The gamers are angry and not at all willing to restrain themselves. One person even expressed it by saying that it looks like ‘fâg shit,’ which is… a net, I guess. Another one just put it very plainly that ‘This looks like ass.’ The disapproval seems to be ubiquitous: some are saying the art style is quite hackneyed, it looks like a ‘high fantasy Valorant with mounts,’ it is an ‘Overwatch clone,’ and it is ‘gayer than Concord.’ A lot of ‘woke’ discussions are going on, and one comment says that the ‘woke crap oozes from your screen.’ It is very apparent that a large segment of the gaming community is not fond of this.
But hang on, what is Highguard indeed? Based on the trailer, it is being posed as a ‘new type of shooter.’ It appears to be free-to-play and hero-based while having fantasy elements—knights, magic and yes, perhaps some mounts too. It has PvP and PvE combined in what looks like huge battles. Some people even said it looked like a ‘MOBA shooter’ or a ‘PVPVE dota2/deadlock style massive conquest game.’ So it’s not only the same old battle royale again, but it’s also encroaching into a territory that is already crowded with live-service games.
The most important cause of the discontent is actually the fact that it is not Titanfall 3. For years, players have been shouting, begging, and memeing for Respawn to return to the beloved mech-piloting series. Titanfall 2 still occupies a place in history as one of the finest shooters ever, with its killer campaign and great movement. So when Respawn puts out anything that isn’t Titanfall 3, a section of the fanbase feels let down personally. ‘They will make any slop instead of Titanfall 3,’ the original tweet claims, and that sentiment is everywhere. One user commented, ‘yeah, totally vibing with another cash grab instead of titanfall 3.’ Another made a grim prediction, ‘I give it 9 months before it shuts down.’
There is also a layer of developer drama in the comments that goes on. One reply suggests that magic is gone: ‘They won’t ever make Titanfall 3 because the devs that made the previous titles are no longer at the company and have been replaced by slop devs.’ Another questions pointedly, ‘how many of the Titanfall 2 original devs are involved in this?’ It echoes a sentiment that the spirit of what made Respawn great may have moved on, leaving a company just pursuing the next trend. And one that is currently trending is live-service fantasy hero shooters.
On the contrary, there are some who are completely negative. A few voices are trying to be level-headed. ‘I don’t know. Need to play and feel the game before judging this one,’ said one gamer. Another person acknowledged that while he/she liked early Apex, now their expectations are ‘extremely low,’ but they would ‘probs give it a go since it’s free.’ And one even defended the reveal, arguing that the team behind this is not literally the same as the core Respawn team, comparing it to ex-Battlefield devs making The Finals. But these are tiny bits of reason in a vast ocean of cynicism.
The context of where this was revealed also plays an important role. Being the final ‘one more thing’ at the Game Awards is an elite spot. It is meant to be a mic-drop moment. And for many, Highguard was nothing but a wet fart of a finale. ‘That should’ve gone to MM12,’ grumbled one gamer, referring to the also-announced Marvel vs. Capcom 2 re-release. ‘Possibly the worst “one more” of any event ever,’ another one proclaimed. The reveal was also covered on PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
