Former Apex Legends Developer Returns to Respawn Following Highguard Shutdown
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Environment artist Derek Bentley has rejoined Respawn Entertainment to work on Apex Legends following the shutdown of Wildlight Entertainment and their hero shooter Highguard.
The gaming industry has delivered a rare piece of genuinely positive employment news this week. Environment artist Derek Bentley has officially returned to Respawn Entertainment after a brief stint at Wildlight Entertainment ended in layoffs earlier this year. Bentley shared his excitement on social media, confirming he is back working on Apex Legends as a principal environment artist focused on building out the game's worlds.
Bentley was among the many developers affected when Wildlight shut down its hero shooter Highguard just weeks after launch due to dwindling player numbers and pulled funding. The rapid collapse of Highguard marked another difficult moment for a team of industry veterans, making this reunion with Respawn a welcome shift from the constant stream of studio closures dominating games media lately.
As Bentley settles back into the Apex Legends team to design more digital landscapes, the battle royale itself continues to evolve across platforms. Respawn recently announced that the upcoming 29th season will be the final update for the original Nintendo Switch version as the studio shifts focus toward newer hardware and technical foundations. For players across PC, consoles, and cloud, seeing talent land safely back on their feet remains the best kind of headline in a turbulent live service market. Original reporting comes via Victoria Phillips Kennedy at Eurogamer.
Tags: Apex Legends, Respawn Entertainment, Industry News, Wildlight Entertainment, Highguard
Original article: Eurogamer