Wildlight Entertainment, the studio behind the hero shooter Highguard, is prioritizing game updates following recent mass layoffs and a website outage. A developer revealed undisclosed funding from Tencent's TiMi Studio Group, while another blamed content creators for the game's struggles. Despite dwindling player numbers, the team aims to deliver new content to improve the free-to-play title.
Highguard, a multiplayer hero shooter developed by California-based Wildlight Entertainment, launched approximately one month ago to mixed reception. Announced at The Game Awards with a trailer that received a lukewarm response, the free-to-play game has since faced significant challenges. Last week, the studio conducted mass layoffs, affecting everyone outside a core team, just as it was preparing commitments for 'Episode 2' of its ambitious year-long roadmap shared at launch. The roadmap is now likely being overhauled, with questions remaining about how much content was already developed versus needing to be built from scratch. To date, additions include a new playable hero, a 5v5 mode, and an option for 3v3 ranked play. The game started with a roster of eight heroes, leading to repeats in the popular 5v5 mode, alongside light pools for guns and gear. Initial criticisms have targeted the resource gathering and flag capturing phases, with players calling for more characters and loot. Player numbers have dropped by around 95 percent, raising doubts about the game's financial runway in its live-service model. On February 17, 2026, Highguard's website went offline, prompting shutdown speculation. However, a moderator on the game's Discord, WL_Coronach, addressed concerns, stating: 'Not sure on the timeframe, but basically needs to be transferred and simplified. Low priority atm (reputational damage already done). Now we just need to focus on delivering updates and content to improve.' The studio declined to comment when contacted by Kotaku. A report from Game File on February 18 revealed that Wildlight was funded by Tencent's TiMi Studio Group but remains technically independent, with the investment not publicly announced—unlike Tencent's stakes in Riot Games, Ubisoft's Vantage Studios, and a 15 percent share in Arrowhead Game Studios. Games Business editor Christopher Dring explained on X that such funding is common for independent studios through rounds, noting: 'Being backed by investors doesn't make you any less independent... Tencent, and similar investors, are not a well of money people can keep coming back to.' Separately, former Lead Tech Artist Josh Sobel, affected by the layoffs, posted on X that content creators and review bombing contributed to the game's 'dead on arrival' status. He received hate messages, leading him to privatize his account, and argued that pre-launch backlash discourages smaller studios from innovating in multiplayer spaces, potentially leaving the field to major corporations.
