Highguard Didn't Pay for Its Privileged Slot at The Game Awards

To this day, the most exclusive showcase in the video game industry is called The Game Awards. Companies would be willing to pay exorbitant sums just to show off at the biggest event of the year: it's rumored that broadcasting a one-minute trailer at the TGA can cost up to $450,000! The most prestigious slot concerns the last game shown; for example, between 2022 and 2024, it was occupied by titles of the caliber of Final Fantasy XVI, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Highguard Got Free Publicity

For 2025, it was reasonable to expect that The Game Awards would conclude with the announcement of a major company's flagship title... but that's not what happened. As you may recall, the show was closed by Highguard, a free-to-play shooter from Wildlight Entertainment. A choice that surprised many and, apparently, was not dictated by economic reasons: as reported by Forbes, Geoff Keighley allegedly gave away the slot for free, because he genuinely appreciates the game (or perhaps because it was vacant, after a buyer backed out... we'll never know).

What Happened to Highguard?

Wildlight Entertainment was thus able to benefit from extraordinary publicity, but... what happened to it? The shooter's release date is set for January 26, meaning it will be released in just 8 days, but after The Game Awards trailer, nothing else has been seen. According to Forbes, new information should arrive next week.