Highguard Didn't Pay for the Game Awards Finale, and My Brain Can’t Process It
I was absolutely convinced that Wildlight Entertainment had to mortgage their office furniture to afford that "One More Thing" slot.
When Highguard closed out The Game Awards last month, the collective reaction was a mix of "Ooh, Titanfall devs" and "Wait, that's it?" It is an unspoken rule of the industry that the finale slot is reserved for two things: earth-shattering reveals like GTA VI, or massive checks written by publishers desperate for hype. Since Highguard is a new IP from a new studio, everyone assumed it was the latter. We all thought, "Wow, they really spent the marketing budget on this one." Well, according to Forbes' Paul Tassi, we were all dead wrong.
The Anti-Cynical Plot Twist
Paul Tassi just tweeted that Highguard did not actually pay for that finale spot. According to his sources, it was "just the show putting it there."
Let that sink in for a second. In an era where Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards are basically just televised billboards for whoever has the deepest pockets, the showrunners apparently looked at Highguard—a PvP raid shooter—and decided, "Yes, this is the banger we want to end the night on."
This is actually wilder than if they had paid for it. If they paid, it’s just business. If they didn't pay, it means Geoff Keighley and his team genuinely believed this game was strong enough to follow up every other massive announcement of the night. It implies a level of confidence in the gameplay that we haven't really seen yet.
A Risky Bet for a Free Slot
Looking back, this makes the slightly lukewarm reception to the trailer even funnier. Imagine getting the most coveted spot in gaming advertising for free, and the internet still goes "Mehh, looks like a hero shooter." That is rough.
But honestly, this makes me more interested in the game. If the Apex Legends and Titanfall vets at Wildlight didn't have to buy their way onto the stage, maybe the game actually cooks. The extraction/raid shooter genre is crowded, but if the people behind the curtain think this is the "next big thing," maybe there is something we missed in that frantic trailer.
With the game dropping on January 26, literally ten days from now, we won't have to wait long to find out if Keighley’s editorial instinct was right or if he just really likes the color purple.
So, hats off to Wildlight. You got the best billboard in the world for zero dollars. Now you just have to hope the game doesn't suck. No pressure.
Got a hot take on this? I know you do. Head over to r/neonlightsmedia to discuss it.
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