Wildlight Entertainment Confirms Layoffs, Announces Permanent Shutdown of Highguard
Wildlight Entertainment, the developer behind the free-to-play raid shooter Highguard, has confirmed layoffs affecting a portion of its team and announced the permanent shutdown of the game. These decisions follow reports of commercial difficulties and declining player engagement since Highguard's launch in January.
Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed layoffs and the permanent shutdown of its free-to-play raid shooter, Highguard, citing commercial difficulties and declining player engagement.
Game Launch and Initial Performance
Highguard, a free-to-play raid shooter, launched on January 26 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Its reveal at The Game Awards in December reportedly received a mixed audience reception.
Game Informer Editor-in-Chief Matt Miller previously reviewed the game, describing it as a promising contender. The game later received an Episode 2 content update, which introduced a ranked mode, a new hero, and an additional map.
Staff Reductions Confirmed
Wildlight Entertainment issued a statement confirming the decision to "part ways with a number of our team members," while indicating that a "core group" of developers would remain to continue supporting and innovating on the game. The company did not disclose the specific number of affected employees.
Earlier reports from staff members, including former Highguard level designer Alex Graner, stated that "most of the team" had been laid off, a claim supported by former lead tech artist Josh Sobel. Wildlight Entertainment expressed pride in its team, talent, and product, and gratitude to players in its statement. The development team has since reportedly shrunk to fewer than 20 individuals.
Permanent Game Shutdown Announced
Wildlight Entertainment announced the permanent shutdown of Highguard, with operations scheduled to cease on March 12, 2026. This announcement occurred approximately a month and a half after the game's January 26 launch.
"Despite the passion and hard work of our team, we have not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term," the company stated.
Wildlight Entertainment noted that more than 2 million players engaged with Highguard since its launch.
Prior to the shutdown, the development team plans to release one final game update. This update is expected to include a new Warden, a new weapon, account level progression, and skill trees. Full patch notes are anticipated to be released shortly.
Reported Factors Contributing to Challenges
Former developers have offered insights into the game's commercial difficulties. Alex Graner, a level designer, attributed the game's performance largely to an excessive focus on its competitive aspects, a concern he stated was raised during development.
Graner explained that the 3v3 format demanded high intensity, communication, and coordinated team play, which he suggested limited its appeal to casual players. The game's complex rules, including looting, objective pursuit, objective planting, and overtime scenarios, were described as challenging for new players. The requirement for high-skill movement and shooting was also noted as creating a high barrier to entry, leading players without a dedicated team or those experiencing early losses to frequently disengage.
Another former developer indicated that the game's launch faced difficulties, partly due to inaccurate assumptions concerning a major advertising placement. Highguard was reportedly financially supported by Tencent, which allegedly withdrew funding within weeks of the game's release.
Steep Decline in Player Engagement
Following its launch, Highguard experienced a significant decrease in its player base. The concurrent player count on Steam reportedly dropped from a peak of 97,249 to 105 active users, representing a 99.8% reduction.
Engagement with Highguard content on streaming platforms also declined, with Twitch viewership decreasing from a peak of 382,000 on January 26 to 46 viewers at the time of one report.
Initial plans for Highguard included a 'shadowdrop' release. However, Geoff Keighley reportedly advocated for the game to be featured as the final reveal at The Game Awards in late 2025.
Broader Industry Context
In a separate development occurring concurrently in the gaming industry, Riot Games also implemented staff reductions. These cuts affected approximately 80 individuals from its recently launched live service project, the 2XKO fighting game.