- Highguard's website is currently offline, showing players a "Site Unavailable" message when trying to access it.
- A new report from Game File has claimed that Tencent was funding Wildlight Entertainment and Highguard from behind the scenes.
- Players are wondering whether these are signs of a complete shutdown for Highguard.
It is no secret that Highguard is having a tough time in the gaming industry, with Wildlight Entertainment’s new raid shooter struggling to retain most of the players it pulled in at its launch. This has led many to speculate how Highguard, much like Concord before it, will possibly succumb to a similarly short life span.
These speculations have now reached a fever pitch as, after only a few weeks of launch, Highguard’s official website has been taken down without an explanation. This comes after a bombshell report revealed that Chinese tech giant Tencent was secretly funding Highguard from behind the scenes.
New Report Reveals Tencent Was Secretly Backing Highguard As False Indie Claims Arise
Players trying to access the Highguard website have been met with a “Site Unavailable” message, signaling to many that this might be the beginning of the end for the game and Wildlight as a whole. These speculations aren’t unfounded either, as the Highguard studio recently announced massive layoffs, parting ways with most of the team and only keeping a skeleton crew around.
However, the real meat behind this whole story is that Highguard’s website deactivation came shortly after a report from Game File claimed that Chinese gaming giant Tencent was the undisclosed lead financial backer for Wildlight Entertainment. The partnership was not disclosed by either company, and raises several eyebrows relating to Highguard’s integrity as a title.
Since Wildlight was first created back in 2022, the studio has been marketed as a developer-led, independent studio. However, the new report from Game File suggests a completely different reality. This has sparked a ton of backlash, specifically around the studio’s misleading indie marketing. The report doesn’t come as a surprise to some, however, as the involvement of Tencent would explain why Highguard heavily relied on live service mechanics, something that feels out of place for the “passionate, indie” identity that the developers had been pushing.
Highguard was already struggling to make any significant impact, something that can be attributed to the gameplay, which has been heavily mocked by players ever since it was first revealed. While Highguard’s Wardens provided some hope for players, the game’s overall 3v3 format and sprawling empty maps have left a lot to be desired.
With the official Highguard website shutting down and the secret Tencent funding now being out in the open, it remains to be seen if the title will succumb to a similar fate as Concord and just become a cautionary tale in the AAA live-service gaming circles.
What do you think about this entire situation with Highguard and the secret funding from Tencent? Tell us in the comments below!
