Highguard Shutters Less Than Two Months After Launch
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Wildlight Entertainment is shutting down the live-service raid shooter Highguard on March 12, less than two months after its rocky launch and subsequent loss of player retention and funding.
The live service landscape claims another casualty as developer Wildlight Entertainment announces that Highguard will shut down its servers on March 12, barely two months after its debut. The free to play raid shooter, built by industry veterans with deep roots in the Apex Legends and Call of Duty franchises, failed to secure the sustainable player base needed to keep operations running. According to a statement shared by the studio on X, the team simply could not build long term momentum despite their best efforts. Wildlight plans to roll out one final update this week featuring a new Warden, a new weapon, account progression, and skill trees, giving remaining fans a chance to log in for a proper send off before the plug is pulled.
The game's rapid rise and fall has become a stark case study in the modern gaming market. Highguard made its debut on January 26 following an announcement at The Game Awards 2025. While the title initially drew nearly 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, interest plummeted almost immediately. By its first weekend, concurrent numbers on Steam had already dropped to 15,000, and by the time February rolled around, the game was struggling to break 1,000 players. Subsequent updates tried to course correct by introducing faster paced 5v5 modes and trimming down the game's more tedious preparation phases, but daily peaks eventually dwindled to under 500 players.
Industry observers and reviewers frequently pointed to an identity crisis as the core issue behind the player exodus. Highguard attempted to blend first person shooter mechanics with MOBA base destruction, tactical base fortifications, hero abilities, and survival game resource gathering, resulting in pacing issues that frustrated even sympathetic players. Behind the scenes, the situation was reportedly just as volatile. Reports indicate that financial backer Tencent pulled funding after the game missed early player retention metrics, leading to significant layoffs just two weeks after launch. For more details on the shutdown and the game's troubled run, you can read the original reporting at Polygon.
Tags: Gaming News, Live-Service, Highguard, Polygon, Industry Trends
Original article: Polygon