- Geoff Keighley took to X to reveal how there have been massive layoffs at Wildlight Entertainment, the studio behind Highguard.
- The layoffs come after massive dips in player count and unflattering reviews from fans.
- Highguard's future is uncertain as of now, especially in terms of its ambitious roadmap.
It is no secret that Highguard has had somewhat of a rocky reputation among players ever since it was first revealed. Despite the title having trusted developers from games like Titanfall behind it, many failed to get on board with Wildlight’s new take on the hero shooter genre, which further led to mixed reviews from players.
Now, after massive dips in Highguard’s player count, it has been revealed that Wildlight Entertainment has laid off a lot of members from the Highguard team. This unfortunate development for the developers comes only 16 days after the game’s release on January 26, 2026.
Highguard’s Future is Uncertain After Massive Layoffs Hit Wildlight
The news regarding Wildlight’s layoffs was revealed by Geoff Keighley, who was a major driving force for Highguard ever since its reveal at the 2025 Game Awards. He further added how the situation is “an unfortunate, brutal, and sad outcome for a game I enjoyed in early play tests.” This is, without a doubt, heartbreaking for the team over at Wildlight. While Highguard might not have been the greatest experience at launch, layoffs like the ones at Wildlight negatively impact the gaming industry as a whole.
But why did Highguard fail to resonate with so many fans? Many players attribute Highguard‘s poor reputation among players to the unreal amounts of hype that were attached to it. After being revealed as the “one more thing” finale at last year’s Game Awards, fans had high hopes attached to the project. However, Highguard infamously underdelivered, with players pointing out massive flaws that make the game a chore to play.
This includes the criticisms against the 3v3 raid shooter format, with players expressing that the setup doesn’t work well with Highguard’s massive maps. Additionally, Highguard’s constant comparisons to Concord didn’t help, as many players branded Highguard as yet another faceless live-service title entering an oversaturated market.
While Wildlight Entertainment has tried addressing some issues with the introduction of a Highguard 5v5 mode, the title is having a hard time cracking even 2,000 concurrent players as of late. Furthermore, these unfortunate layoffs also leave Wildlight’s ambitious roadmap for Highguard up in the air. With only the core group left to maintain the game, it is unclear whether Highguard will receive the promised updates or be put on “maintenance mode” until a total shutdown.
The layoffs over at Wildlight are an extremely unfortunate development in Highguard’s roadmap. While I do think that Highguard had a lot going for it gameplay-wise, its placement at the 2025 Game Awards and the lack of marketing in the days leading up certainly contributed to the issues it’s facing now. For now, the future of Highguard remains uncertain for the most part.
What do you think will happen to Highguard in the near future? Do you think Wildlight Entertainment can come back from this? Tell us in the comments below!
