Highguard to Close Permanently Next Week

Wildlight Entertainment has officially confirmed the permanent sunsetting of Highguard, its free-to-play multiplayer raid title. The announcement comes as a shock to the community, given the game only made its debut on January 26—meaning it will have been active for less than two months by the time it goes dark.

Since its high-profile reveal as the closing act of The Game Awards 2025, Highguard faced a daunting climb to relevancy. While the pedigree of the development team initially sparked interest, the game struggled to overcome general “live-service fatigue” and a polarizing aesthetic. Though the title enjoyed a brief surge of players at launch, engagement plummeted shortly thereafter. Despite a public commitment to a year-long content roadmap and the release of substantial post-launch updates, the studio’s stability was rocked by massive layoffs just weeks after the game’s release. Today’s news confirms the fears many had regarding the project’s long-term viability.

In a statement shared via social media, Wildlight admitted that Highguard failed to cultivate a sustainable audience capable of supporting ongoing operations. The servers are scheduled to be taken offline on March 12. To honor the remaining community, the studio is releasing one final “parting gift” update—expected to drop within the next 24 hours—which introduces a new playable Warden, an additional weapon, account-level progression, and specialized skill trees.

The developers shared the following message regarding the closure:

“Today we’re sharing difficult news. We have made the decision to permanently shut down Highguard on March 12. Since launch, more than 2 million players stepped into Highguard’s world… 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. Servers will remain online until March 12th. We hope you’ll jump in with us one more time to show your support.”

The future of Wildlight Entertainment itself remains precarious. Formed by veterans of Respawn Entertainment who previously shaped Apex Legends and Titanfall, the independent studio was bolstered by significant backing from Tencent. However, a recent Bloomberg investigative report suggests the studio has been hollowed out, with fewer than 20 employees remaining following the recent rounds of downsizing.

Critically, the game showed flashes of brilliance. In our initial review, Highguard earned a 7.5 out of 10, with Editor-in-Chief Matt Miller noting that while the game was unrefined, it offered a refreshing alternative for competitive shooter fans tired of the status quo. Unfortunately, that potential will now go unfulfilled.

Highguard’s rapid collapse mirrors the ill-fated trajectory of 2024’s Concord, another high-budget hero shooter that was pulled from shelves and shuttered mere weeks after launch. Both instances serve as a grim testament to the volatility of the modern gaming market and the immense difficulty of breaking into the crowded live-service ecosystem. For now, players have only a few weeks left to experience Highguard’s unique world before it vanishes for good.

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