Highguard, the new fantasy FPS, is set to deliver a year’s worth of episodic post-launch content to keep players engaged and combat “live-service fatigue.”

After wrapping up The Game Awards last year and with a somewhat limited marketing push since then, Highguard has officially launched on Steam. This fantasy FPS has already drawn in nearly 100,000 players at launch, and the team at Wildlight Entertainment has an ambitious 12-month update plan lined up.

In a showcase video celebrating the game’s release, Jason Torfin, VP of product and publishing and game writer, shared insights about their vision. “From the beginning, we aimed to create a shooter that operates as a live-service,” he explains.

“We’ve been planning this for quite some time,” he continues. “In fact, we already have a year’s worth of post-launch content well into development.” That’s a significant amount of content to roll out, and Wildlight understands that effective delivery is crucial in today’s crowded gaming landscape.

“There’s a lot of live-service fatigue,” notes lead designer Carlos Pineda. “These games often create a sense of FOMO, and players are becoming more discerning. We’re focused on building a game that players will want to return to.”

Torfin elaborates on their release strategy, which is structured into episodes, each spanning two months and divided into two parts. The first episode is designed to enhance the existing content, featuring five maps, eight wardens, and 10 weapons. While future episodes may not match those numbers, each will offer unique reasons to jump back in.

Timing is key for releases like Highguard, and Wildlight seems to be on the right track. If you’re interested in giving it a shot, it’s available now on Valve’s marketplace.

“I wish Highguard had been received better,” the CEO reflects, mentioning the cancellation of a planned Apex Legends-style surprise drop after Geoff Keighley expressed interest in getting involved.