Wildlight Entertainment Lays Off Most Highguard Developers Two Weeks After Launch

Wildlight Entertainment Lays Off Most Highguard Developers Two Weeks After Launch

Wildlight Entertainment laid off the majority of its development team for its free-to-play multiplayer hero shooter Highguard just 16 days after the game's January 26, 2026 release. This decision followed mixed reviews, sharply declining player numbers, and the game missing financial goals.

Ingress

Wildlight Entertainment’s multiplayer shooter Highguard, which had been highlighted prominently as a major upcoming release at the 2025 Game Awards, faced significant challenges soon after its launch. Despite initial player interest near 100,000 concurrent users on PC, retention dropped drastically within weeks. The developer confirmed it made the difficult choice to release a large portion of the team while maintaining a core group to continue supporting the game. Highguard’s unique raid-based gameplay and balanced gunplay received praise in hands-on previews, but marketing issues and unmet expectations impacted its early commercial performance.

Key Points

• Highguard was revealed at the 2025 Game Awards but struggled to retain players after launching on January 26, 2026.
• Wildlight Entertainment laid off most of its staff on February 12, 2026, just over two weeks after release.
• The game attracted nearly 100,000 PC players at launch but concurrent users fell to around 3,600 by the layoff date.
• Mixed reviews and criticism of the game’s marketing strategy contributed to the title’s commercial difficulties.
• Wildlight intends to continue supporting Highguard with a smaller “core group” of developers and has a roadmap of planned updates.

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Highguard’s Development and Launch Context

Developed by Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded in 2022 by former Respawn developers including Apex Legends design director Jason McCord, Highguard sought to innovate within the crowded hero shooter genre. It was showcased in the coveted final preview slot at the December 2025 Game Awards, signaling high expectations. However, its reveal trailer generated a muted response and criticism for a lack of clarity regarding gameplay mechanics.

Highly anticipated due to the pedigree of its development team with experience on titles like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Titanfall, Highguard launched simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Early hands-on previews praised its polished gunplay, compelling characters called Wardens, and the unique Raid Mode gameplay.

Gameplay Features and Reception

Highguard’s central gameplay loop revolves around Raid Mode, a structured, multi-phase 3v3 or 5v5 multiplayer experience where teams alternate between fortifying their base and attempting to invade and destroy their opponent’s base. Matches cycle through reinforcement, looting, Shieldbreaker acquisition, and raid phases, emphasizing tactical team play and base defense.

Players appreciated the game’s tight gunplay mechanics, with a variety of weapons and magic-wielding Wardens offering strategic depth. The art direction’s high fantasy setting and diverse mounts also set it apart from typical military or sci-fi shooters, providing a fresh aesthetic within the genre.

Despite these strengths, critiques noted oversimplifications in the loot progression system, limited player-versus-environment (PvE) engagement during exploration phases, and potential balance issues as both teams leveled up gear evenly throughout rounds.

Player Population Decline and Mixed Critical Response

Data from SteamDB indicated that Highguard’s launch drew just under 100,000 players on PC and attracted around 380,000 Twitch viewers initially. However, these figures declined rapidly within weeks, with only about 3,600 concurrent users remaining by mid-February. On Steam, the title received a mixed reception, averaging around 23,000 reviews at launch.

Community and critics highlighted that the abrupt announcement following a long marketing silence negatively impacted hype and player expectations. Moreover, the prominence given to Highguard at The Game Awards set expectations that the game struggled to meet, leading to backlash. Comparisons were made online to Concord, another hero shooter that was removed from sale mere weeks after release due to similar struggles.

Wildlight Entertainment’s Response and Future Plans

On February 12, 2026, Wildlight Entertainment publicly confirmed the layoffs of a significant portion of its development staff, retaining only a core team dedicated to innovating on and supporting Highguard moving forward. The studio expressed pride in the team and product, thanked the player community, and committed to ongoing updates with a roadmap for the entire year.

The layoffs were attributed primarily to Highguard not meeting financial targets needed to sustain the full development team. Early feedback and continuing support suggest the studio aims to maintain and improve the game despite the commercial setback.

Industry and Community Reactions

Game Awards organizer Geoff Keighley described the layoffs as "an unfortunate, brutal and sad outcome" for a game he had previously enjoyed testing. The gaming community’s reaction was mixed, with some players appreciating Highguard’s innovative design and others critical of the marketing approach and early execution.

Wildlight’s experience highlights the challenges faced by new live-service multiplayer shooters attempting to break through a saturated market dominated by established franchises like Apex Legends and Overwatch, which themselves continue to evolve with major updates.

Conclusion

Highguard, developed by industry veterans, offered a distinct hero shooter experience with innovative raid mechanics and solid gameplay quality. However, the combination of subdued marketing, unmet high expectations, and rapidly declining player numbers led Wildlight Entertainment to substantially reduce its development team shortly after launch. The studio remains committed to supporting the game with a smaller core team and has charted a plan for continued content. Highguard’s trajectory underscores the difficulties of launching and sustaining a new live-service shooter in a competitive landscape.