Developer Wildlight Entertainment has released a new fast-paced mode for its hero shooter Highguard in an effort to retain players amid falling concurrent numbers. The update arrives as the game faces challenges following its recent launch and subsequent layoffs at the studio. Raid Rush eliminates the looting phase to focus on direct base raids.
Highguard, a raid shooter developed by Wildlight Entertainment, launched last month after a reveal at The Game Awards 2025. Initially inspired by Rust's looting and raid mechanics, the game pivoted from a survival-focused design to a competitive 3v3 format after two years of development. It featured giant maps emphasizing resource mining and looting, but players found these elements underbaked. The title shadow-dropped on Steam, achieving over 100,000 concurrent players at launch, yet retention proved elusive.
By early February 2026, daily concurrent players on PC hovered around 13,000 to 15,000, but numbers have since dropped sharply to 500 to 694 as of February 26. On PS5, Highguard ranked 34th in weekly active users for the week ending February 14, according to Circana data, with quick matchmaking times reported anecdotally.
Weeks after launch, Wildlight laid off the majority of its staff, shocking developers who expected months to iterate based on feedback. A Bloomberg report attributes the game's struggles to 'hubris,' with the team sticking to a stealth strategy reminiscent of Apex Legends' 2019 release despite market challenges. Speculation points to Tencent's TiMi Studio Group, which assisted in shipping the self-published title, tying funding to unmet launch metrics.
To address waning interest, Wildlight introduced the Raid Rush mode on February 27 at 5pm GMT. This pits two teams of five in alternating attack and defense rounds on bases, skipping the looting phase. Bases auto-repair, players receive uniform armor that increases in rarity per round, and optional purchases are available from a Trader. Accompanying changes include nerfs to the Vanguard rifle's long-range damage and the Revive Amulet's speed boost, plus a buff to the Dynasty rifle's damage.
Despite the update's all-out action focus and quality-of-life fixes, observers question its ability to reverse the trend, especially with competitors like Overwatch gaining traction and a Marathon playtest upcoming. Wildlight maintains the game will continue.
