Josh Sobel, a former lead technical artist at Wildlight Entertainment, has shared insights into the challenges faced by the game Highguard following its reveal and launch. He attributes much of the backlash to false assumptions and extensive review bombing. The studio experienced layoffs amid persistent negative sentiment.
Highguard was introduced to players via a trailer at The Game Awards 2025, showcasing battles with Wardens and magical mounts. The game launched in January, drawing an initial surge of players, but soon encountered criticism over elements like map size and the 3v3 format limitations.
Wildlight Entertainment, an independent self-published studio, responded with patches and updates, including making the 5v5 mode a permanent fixture after it started as limited-time content. Despite these efforts, the negative atmosphere continued, leading to layoffs weeks after launch.
In a now-deleted social media post, Josh Sobel described the project's immediate downfall after the reveal. "We were turned into a joke from minute one," he said. Sobel highlighted how speculation about a "million-dollar ad placement" was accepted as fact by journalists and content creators, sparking a wave of negativity. This environment encouraged creators to prioritize engagement through critical coverage, overshadowing the team's work.
Prior to the reveal, internal feedback had been positive, with the studio structured around royalties to ease financial strains. However, external reactions included personal harassment; Sobel locked his X profile post-trailer, prompting further mockery. "The hate started immediately," he noted.
Launch saw over 14,000 review bombs from users with less than an hour of playtime, many not completing the tutorial. Comments filled sections with memes like "Concord 2" and references to "Titanfall 3 died for this."
In a Dexerto interview, creative and design director Jason McCord stated the team did not anticipate such hate and believed Highguard offered something unique in first-person shooters.
Support came from 1047 Games, developers of Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, who remarked, "No game is perfect on day one."
A core team remains at Wildlight, continuing development on Highguard, though its future is uncertain.
