Backlash Against Highguard Stuns Bungie Team

by Marcus Thompson January 30, 2026

written by Marcus Thompson January 30, 2026

Key Takeaways

Created with AI - we're still experimenting, so apologies if it misses the mark

Highguard, Bungies new free-to-play PvP game, has received criticism from the community upon its unveiling at The Game Awards.
The studio did not anticipate such a negative response and now recognizes that their strategy for revealing the game might not have been ideal for a relatively unknown studio.
Bungies team was eager to showcase Highguards unique approach, aiming to avoid it being overlooked with a surprise launch.
The teams confidence in Highguard is still evident despite recent setbacks for similar games like Concord.

Community Criticism Hits Unveiling of Bungie’s Highguard in Competitive Market

Highguard, a free-to-play Player versus Player game, has become the target of community criticism following its unveiling at The Game Awards by Bungie. According to Design Director Jason MacCord, the studio did not anticipate such a negative response. MacCord told Dexerto that the team had been eager to present the game to a global audience, understanding the challenges of launching a new title in a competitive market. While they hoped the official reveal would be met with enthusiasm, they now recognize that their strategy might not have been ideal for a relatively unknown studio. The team’s confidence in Highguard’s unique approach, even amid recent setbacks for similar games like Concord, led them to want to showcase it to as many people as possible, rather than risk it being overlooked with a surprise launch.

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