Highguard Shutting Down March 12
Live-service shooter Highguard will shut down March 12 after failing to sustain an active player base. Developer Wildlight is releasing one final update before servers go offline permanently. Another high-profile live-service casualty in an increasingly volatile genre.
The game's lifespan will total just 45 days. Highguard launched on January 26, 2026, and though its developer, Wildlight Entertainment, reported that over 2 million players tried the game, it failed to maintain a lasting community. The shutdown announcement came shortly after significant layoffs at Wildlight in February, just two weeks after the game's release. Reports indicated that the studio, which had started with around 100 employees, was reduced to a core team of fewer than 20. Wildlight Entertainment was founded by industry veterans, including former key figures from Respawn Entertainment who had worked on major titles like *Apex Legends* and *Titanfall*. CEO Dusty Welch and Design Director Jason McCord both held senior roles on *Apex Legends*, and Studio Head Chad Grenier was the game director for the popular battle royale. The studio's primary financial backer was reportedly the Chinese technology giant Tencent, through its TiMi Studio Group subsidiary, a detail that was not widely publicized. Despite the significant funding, the game's inability to retain players appears to have led to the rapid shutdown. *Highguard* is another casualty in a difficult market for new live-service games. Other high-profile titles have also struggled, such as Sony's *Concord*, which was shut down in 2024 after only two weeks. This trend highlights the immense challenge of competing in a space dominated by established franchises.
