Highguard to shut down two months after launch
Wildlight Entertainment has announced that its multiplayer title Highguard will shut down permanently on March 12, less than two months after its release on January 26.
The studio confirmed the closure in a statement shared on Highguard’s X account, revealing that servers will remain online until the shutdown date.
“Since launch, more than 2 million players stepped into ‘Highguard’s’ world. You shared feedback, created content, and many believed in what we were building. For that, we are deeply grateful,” the statement read.
It continued: “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 and get those final great matches in while we still can.”
The announcement follows reports in February that Wildlight Entertainment had laid off multiple staff members less than a month after the game’s launch. At the time, it was reported that all employees were working exclusively on Highguard.
Wildlight Entertainment was founded by chief executive Dusty Welch and game director Chad Grenier. Highguard marked the studio’s debut project.
Before the servers go offline, the development team plans to release a final update. The patch will include a new Warden character, additional weapons, account level progression and skill trees.
The closure of Highguard comes amid continued competition in the multiplayer gaming sector, where studios face pressure to retain active player bases following launch. More than 2 million players accessed the game during its brief lifespan, according to the studio’s statement.