Geoff's Hype Couldn't Prevent Highguard Layoffs

3 hours ago 1

Published Feb 11, 2026, 7:54 PM EST

Scott Baird is a contributor with over a decade's experience writing about video games, along with board games and tabletop RPGs. Scott has previously worked for Dexerto, Cracked, Dorkly, and Gamepur.

Wildlight Entertainment, the studio behind Highguard, has reportedly let most of its staff go. This suggests that Highguard is already winding down, in a story that has sadly been predicted by many since the game's launch.

Highguard started out in a prominent position, being the final announcement of The Game Awards 2025. The initial buzz was followed by a period of silence, with some concerned that the game had been canned. Then, on January 26, Highguard launched on PC and consoles with a free-to-play model, allowing anyone to jump in.

While the initial Highguard previews were strong, they haven't been reflected in player numbers. As reported by Shinobi602 on Twitter/X, several members of the Highguard team are posting on LinkedIn that they've been laid off, hinting that the game's remaining content had been shelved.

What's Next For Highguard?

Laying off most of the staff is a pretty bad sign for a live-service game, especially so soon after launch. Infamously, Concord lasted about the same amount of time before being shelved, and recently, the 2XKO team downsized, suggesting the game may soon be on the chopping block.

While Highguard got a ton of buzz, initially from The Game Awards, and then the numerous controversies surrounding the game, it seemed none of the attention translated into players actually sticking around and putting money into their game.

Laying off most of the staff is a pretty bad sign for a live-service game, especially so soon after launch.

In the end, a game lives or dies by its gameplay. Highguard had a lot of advantages over many titles that have been thrown onto Steam with little to no fanfare, and it just couldn't sell itself. If the game was fun enough to keep people logging in day after day, like ARC Raiders, then it could have been a contender.

So, what's next for Highguard? Is a Final Fantasy 14-style resurrection on the cards? It really seems like this is the end for Highguard, and that there are limits to what publicity, both good and bad, can do for a live-service game.