Geoff Keighley issued a public statement denying any financial involvement with Highguard, the free-to-play shooter that received prominent placement at The Game Awards. When asked directly if he had a financial stake in the game, Keighley responded “lol absolutely not.”
The denial came after questions emerged about why Highguard secured the show’s final reveal slot. That placement typically signals a major announcement and generates significant hype. For a relatively unknown title from a smaller team, it stood out.
According to a recent developer interview, Keighley played Highguard before the public reveal. He liked what he saw and asked the team to put together a trailer for The Game Awards. The developers confirmed the trailer was rushed together to meet the deadline.
The game was originally planned as a shadowdrop—a surprise launch with minimal marketing. The TGA appearance changed that approach and accelerated the reveal timeline.
Highguard is a free-to-play 3v3 shooter that launched shortly after its Game Awards debut. The game features hero-based gameplay with weapon selection and match-based competitive modes.
Some observers noted that Keighley referenced Titanfall when introducing the reveal, though the connection between the games and their development teams has been debated. The Steam page reportedly had language about Titanfall developers that was later removed.
Even without financial ties, the situation shows how showcase events mix paid advertising with editorial curation. When a producer personally champions a game and gives it premium placement, audiences naturally question whether money changed hands or if it was purely a programming decision.
