Developer: Highguard's 3v3 Format Was Too 'Sweaty' for Casual Players

Highguard is a hero shooter with multiple phases that reward tight coordination, and Wildlight Entertainment senior level designer Alex Graner says that made the game feel too "sweaty" for casual players, driving many to leave at launch. He argued the 3v3 duos format “requires such a high intensity of communication with your team, and team play, that it doesn’t leave much room for casualness.” Matches demand players stick together, call out enemies, and try to set up 2v1 situations, in part because the high time to kill—linked to the armor loot economy—rarely lets a lone player survive being outnumbered.

That design can reward careful teamwork, but it also leaves solo or uncoordinated players vulnerable to being rolled in just a few rounds.

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