Highguard: This Leaked Steampunk Warden Is a Banger, But the Game Might Shut Down Before It Drops
Highguard is losing players, losing devs… but not its secrets. A fresh leak just unearthed three hidden Wardens buried in the game files, and the first one is a steampunk showstopper that’ll get your gears turning.
Since its January 26 launch, Wildlight Entertainment’s hero shooter has been hit with nothing but bad news: player exodus, mass layoffs, the works. It’s hard to imagine a rougher start for a game that closed out the 2025 Game Awards with a bang. And yet, a leaker now claims Wildlight was cooking up content way more exciting than anything currently in the game.
Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment
Koldo: a steampunk ray of hope for Highguard?
Of the three characters dug up from the game files, Koldo instantly steals the spotlight. This Support-class Warden rocks a full-on steampunk aesthetic—exposed gears, weathered brass, a hulking silhouette straight out of a Victorian alt-history. In a roster that’s struggled to stand out visually, Koldo is a breath of fresh air, fully embracing classic steampunk style with zero hesitation.
Gameplay-wise, the leak reveals his passive ability, Guardian Angel: “Protects allied orbs around you from destruction. Automatically deploys your shield when reviving allies.” It’s a team-protection kit through and through, and could finally fill a glaring gap in the current Highguard meta. Koldo looks tailor-made for players who love teamwork—a welcome philosophy in a hero shooter where Support roles have been seriously lacking in depth.
X0X_LEAK
— (@X0X_LEAK) date
Two more Wardens lurking in the shadows
Koldo’s not alone. The leak, from an unlisted YouTube video spotted by leaker X0X_LEAK, reveals two more Wardens Wildlight never even mentioned. First up is Onyx: a female character with long brown hair, but her full design and abilities are still under wraps. The third is even more mysterious—a male, alien-looking character with green skin, whose name is still a total mystery.
The lack of info on these two Wardens is fueling speculation. Onyx could be anything from an aggressive DPS to a zone-control specialist, while the alien hints at a more exotic direction for the roster. What’s clear is that Wildlight had big plans to expand its hero lineup. And in a gaming world where steampunk is still a bold visual choice—just look at the Belle Époque steampunk vibes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—Koldo’s design seemed like a step in the right direction. Here’s what we know about the three leaked characters:
- Koldo — Support, steampunk aesthetic, passive ability Guardian Angel (orb protection and auto-shield)
- Onyx — Female character, design and abilities unknown
- Third Warden — Male, green-skinned alien, name and abilities unknown
Highguard on the brink: will these Wardens ever see the light of day?
The real question behind this leak isn’t whether Koldo, Onyx, and their alien buddy are cool. It’s whether they’ll ever make it out. Barely three weeks after Highguard launched, Wildlight Entertainment hit the panic button with mass layoffs that gutted the team. The studio, which had promised a packed roadmap with new Wardens, game modes, and maps, is now running on a skeleton crew and a community that’s melting away faster than snow in July.
Highguard’s problems go way beyond a lack of content. Despite a promising start thanks to Game Awards buzz, player numbers have nosedived, and the reviews have been brutal. The game director may insist that player counts don’t matter, but the cold reality of live service games says otherwise. No players means no revenue; no revenue means no new content. It’s a vicious cycle, and these three Wardens might end up trapped in the game files forever—relics of an ambition that reality just steamrolled.
There’s something painfully ironic about discovering that Highguard was hiding a steampunk gem like Koldo all along, while the game itself struggles to hold anyone’s attention. If Wildlight can somehow steady the ship and roll out these Wardens, the game might just get a second wind. But right now, hope is starting to sound like a gear spinning in the void.
PC, PlayStation 5, Steampunk games, Xbox Series X|S
