Highguard Developers Committed to Providing Updates Despite Recent Quiet Period

As Highguard nears its one-month mark, the future of this hero shooter is looking increasingly uncertain. Despite a decline in player numbers and recent layoffs, the developers are still focused on rolling out the next update for the multiplayer experience.

Following significant layoffs at Wildlight Entertainment last week, communication from the studio has been sparse. When Highguard’s website went offline yesterday, many feared the worst. Although the studio did not provide any comments when approached, a developer on the Highguard Discord offered some insight to the remaining community members.

“Not sure on the timeframe, but basically needs to be transferred and simplified,” moderator WL_Coronach responded to a fan’s inquiry about the website issue. “Low priority atm (reputational damage already done). Now we just need to focus on delivering updates and content to improve.”

What those updates will entail is still unclear. Wildlight was in the process of fulfilling its “Episode 2” commitments when the majority of the team was laid off. The ambitious roadmap shared at launch is likely undergoing significant changes. A key question remains: how much of the planned content was already developed versus needing to be created from scratch?

So far, Highguard has introduced a new playable hero and a 5v5 mode, along with a 3v3 ranked option. While early feedback has suggested reworking aspects of resource gathering and flag capturing, what players likely desire most are additional characters and loot. The game launched with just eight heroes, leading to repetitive gameplay in the more popular 5v5 mode. The selection of guns and gear is also quite limited.

It’s tough to envision how new weapons or characters could pull Highguard out of its current live-service slump. With the right time and resources, Wildlight has a solid foundation to build upon. However, if funding is dwindling and players aren’t engaging with the free-to-play marketplace, it’s hard to see how the game can gain the momentum needed for a true revival.