Wildlight Entertainment studio said that they originally planned to release Highguard in a shadowdrop format — a surprise release without prior announcements, like Apex Legends. The authors wanted the project to speak for itself and avoid the pressure of a lengthy marketing campaign.
The situation changed in 2025 when Geoff Keighley personally played Highguard. The host of The Game Awards became so interested in the project that he insisted on showing the trailer during the ceremony. At the same time, the slot was not promotional — the video got on TGA exclusively on Keighley's initiative. The studio agreed and hastily changed the promotion strategy, which it later called "shooting itself in the foot."
The problem was that the trailer was not intended as a stand-alone presentation. As part of the shadowdrop, it was only supposed to precede a 25-minute gameplay demo. Taken out of context and shown to a multi-million audience, the video left players without an understanding of the mechanics, which quickly led to criticism and accusations of weak marketing.
As a result, Keighley's enthusiasm led to a disorienting campaign and a cold reception after the release. His words that skeptical players would apologize after the release of Highguard also caused additional resonance.