All Highguard Maps & Bases in Episode 1

Highguard's first episode introduces five distinct maps and six defensive bases for players to master. Maps are the large, open-world arenas where teams gather resources and hunt for the Shieldbreaker, while bases are the specific strongholds each team votes on to defend during the final siege. These locations are part of the initial launch content. Future seasons may introduce changes or expand the available pool of environments.

All Highguard Maps in Episode 1

Maps in Highguard are the sprawling landscapes for the first phase of a match. Players navigate these five zones on mounts, collecting Vesper, looting caches, and fighting opponents before the final assault on an enemy base.

• Summit
• Kingdom
• Vesper City
• Dustline
• Rivermark

Highguard maps are large, asymmetrical environments that encourage exploration, unlike the mirrored arenas of other hero shooters. While games like Overwatch 2 channel players into immediate team fights on tightly constructed maps, Highguard offers a preliminary phase for looting and long-range engagements. Even compared to Marvel Rivals, which features destructible environments, Highguard's landscapes are built for traversal rather than contained 6v6 encounters.

Summit

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Summit, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 1

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Summit, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 2

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Summit, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 3

Summit is a frozen kingdom set high in the northern mountains. The map is defined by its verticality, featuring deep trenches and numerous ziplines that create risk-reward traversal opportunities. Key locations include the Queen’s Crypt, a hotspot for rare chests and supplies; the Golem Forge, a central area with long sightlines and frequent Shieldbreaker spawns; and the Frozen Shrine, a tactical zone with narrow passages that favor close-quarters combat.

Kingdom

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Kingdom, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 1

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Kingdom, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 2

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Kingdom, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 3

Kingdom is a large, ruined coastal city dominated by the remains of ancient castles and towers. The map offers a mix of interior and exterior combat scenarios. Whitevale Castle is a central point of interest, containing valuable treasure and a contested Shieldbreaker site within its Throne Room. The Central Belltower provides vertical vantage points for snipers, while the underground Dungeon is rich with Vesper deposits and loot, favoring mid-range engagements.

Vesper City

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Vesper City, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 1

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Vesper City, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 2

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Vesper City, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 3

Vesper City is an ancient desert canyon metropolis, its halls carved from sandstone over two millennia ago. The map features a blend of excavated ruins and open terrain. The Warden’s Treasury serves as a primary hotspot for rare loot and a Shieldbreaker spawn. Below, the Sunken Archives contain extensive Vesper deposits within its mineshafts. The Royal Gardens offer elevated positions, creating ideal sniper nests overlooking key routes.

Dustline

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Dustline, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 1

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Dustline, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 2

Image: Highguard | Map overview | Dustline, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 3

Dustline is a ruined industrial settlement in a barren wasteland. The desert map features abandoned facilities and open spaces that encourage mounted combat. The Radar Center houses loot caches and an indoor Shieldbreaker site. The nearby Mine is dense with Vesper deposits but contains dark shafts where ambushes can occur. An elevated site known as the Furnace provides long-range sightlines, with underground passages offering routes for surprise attacks.

Rivermark

Highguard | Map overview | Rivermark, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 1

Highguard | Map overview | Rivermark, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 2

Highguard | Map overview | Rivermark, from Highguard YouTube channel, Screenshot 3

Rivermark is an abandoned industrial peninsula marked by the colossal Barrier Wall, a remnant of a technologically advanced ancestral civilization. A flooded factory, the Geothermal Station, holds ample supplies and Vesper. The Vesper Mines offer a more straightforward area for resource gathering and mounted combat around a central Shieldbreaker spawn. The Water Pumps site contains hidden passages, allowing for stealthy movement and ambushes.

All Highguard Bases in Episode 1

Bases are the fortified structures that teams defend during the siege portion of a match. Before a round, teams vote from a pool of six distinct bases, each with a unique layout and defensive advantages.

• Wellspring
• Smuggler’s Den
• King’s Lair
• Hellmouth
• Frosthold
• Bellringer

The choice of base is strategic, as its architecture can favor certain team compositions, from mobile, zipline-heavy layouts for Assault wardens to fortified choke points for Defensive specialists.

Wellspring

Highguard | Base overview | Wellspring, from Highguard YouTube channel

Wellspring is protected by an outer curtain wall that encloses a woodland interior. Its two generators are housed in a fortified outbuilding and a rear keep, with the anchor stone in a forward sniper tower. This setup provides defenders with clear views of the open field. A zipline connects the main structures for rapid redeployment, but defenders must monitor a back cave and recessed streams to prevent flanking.

Smuggler’s Den

Highguard | Base overview | Smuggler’s Den, from Highguard YouTube channel

Smuggler’s Den is a multi-level desert stronghold centered around a tall watchtower that provides commanding views of the surrounding dunes. High cliffside platforms connected by zip lines offer long-range coverage. The base's primary vulnerability is a partially submerged smuggling bunker at its rear, designed for quick escapes, which can negate the den's vertical strengths if captured.

King’s Lair

Highguard | Base overview | King’s Lair from Highguard YouTube channel

King's Lair is a primarily subterranean base, making it less vulnerable to direct rocket fire. Its flat, earthen roof offers clear sightlines, while rocky outcroppings provide cover. Below ground, the base is a labyrinth of narrow passages. An excavation trench at the front offers cover for defenders, but the core of the lair is a sloping drop that can become a deadly funnel for attackers.

Hellmouth

Highguard | Base overview | Hellmouth from Highguard YouTube channel

Hellmouth's primary defense is a molten moat that forces attackers across narrow bridges, creating deadly choke points. Three massive structures are connected by a suspended walkway, allowing defenders to move quickly between objectives. A central defended tower offers a commanding perch for sharpshooters. The base's weakness lies in its fragile ceilings and concealed passages that allow for sneak attacks.

Frosthold

Highguard | Base overview | Frosthold from Highguard YouTube channel

Frosthold is a fortified snow-covered lodge with tiered vertical chambers and a large interior. The design features levels of compartments intended to protect the center. Forward-facing balconies offer elevated defensive positions. However, the rear of the structure is open and exposed, leaving it vulnerable to stealth attacks or breaches from below.

Bellringer

Highguard | Base overview | Bellringer from Highguard YouTube channel

Bellringer consists of three massive bell towers, each housing an objective and reinforced with high firing positions. Attackers are forced to scale towering outer walls or break in from subterranean storage tunnels below. Defenders can retreat from the front tower to the two rear towers via a central zipline to form a second line of defense. If a tower falls, its powerful sightlines can be used against its former defenders.

Highguard Heroes

Highguard’s launch roster includes eight playable characters, known as Wardens, each fitting into Assault, Destruction, Defensive, Recon, or Support roles. Learn more about all Highguard Wardens and their unique abilities in our separate guide. Atticus is an Assault warden who wields lightning, while Scarlet focuses on stealth and flanking. Slade offers area denial, and Redmane excels at destroying structures. Kai and Una are Defensive wardens, with Kai creating ice walls and Una summoning spirits. Condor is a Recon specialist who tracks enemies, and Mara is a dedicated Support who can grant shields and create spawn points.