Eurogamer.net (@eurogamer.net.web.brid.gy)

As Highguard stumbles out the gate after weeks of criticism, are we being too hard on live service games? <img src="https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/big-question-live-service.jpg?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp" /> <p>Highguard's <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/highguard-hits-almost-100k-concurrent-pc-players-on-launch-but-struggles-with-early-negative-steam-reviews">launch this week</a> would've probably passed by largely unremarked if it wasn't for its <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/heres-everything-announced-at-the-game-awards-2025">appearance at last year's The Game Awards</a>. Unusually for a game with no prior hype or obvious pedigree, it featured as the show's big "and finally" reveal, immediately subjecting it to intense, and slightly bewildered, scrutiny. After that, even as hard facts on the game remained scarce, it continued to draw scorn, purely for the sin - or so it seemed - of being yet another live-service game. There's plenty more to say on Highguard specifically now it's out, but its arrival this week got us talking about the live service curse - the intense skepticism and innate ill-will that seems to accompany every announcement of a new contender, even before they've had a chance to prove themselves. So this week's Big Question for us and then you - are we being too hard on live-service games?</p> <p><a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/are-we-being-too-hard-on-live-service-games">Read more</a></p> https://www.eurogamer.net/are-we-being-too-hard-on-live-service-games