Tencent Allegedly Behind Highguard’s Mysterious Funding

Developers at Wildlight Entertainment were quite transparent about the development of Highguard when it launched last month, except for one crucial detail: the source of its funding. Following significant layoffs at the studio, reports have surfaced suggesting that the financial backing for the hero shooter’s four-year development may have come from the Chinese conglomerate Tencent.

According to a recent report, Tencent’s TiMi studio group, known for popular titles like Honor of Kings and the military shooter Delta Force, is the entity supporting Wildlight Entertainment.

Wildlight was co-founded by former Respawn Entertainment veterans who contributed to Titanfall and Apex Legends. However, unlike many new studios that openly share their investment sources, Wildlight has kept this information under wraps. When asked about the studio’s funding last month, CEO Dusty Welch stated, “We don’t really speak publicly about the business, and the economics and the financials of our company.”

The reasons behind this secrecy remain unclear. Tencent has a history of investing in Western game studios, holding stakes in a variety of companies, from Larian Studios and FromSoftware to Epic Games and Ubisoft. Typically, these investments are partial, but in Wildlight’s case, TiMi seems to be the main supporter.

Concerns regarding funding have intensified following the recent layoffs and fan inquiries about the future of the live-service game Highguard. The game has seen a drastic drop, losing over 95 percent of its concurrent players on PC since its launch peak, although an unknown number of players still engage on console.

As a free-to-play shooter, Highguard relies entirely on in-game microtransactions for revenue, such as skins and battle passes—purchases that players are less likely to make if they doubt the game’s longevity. Wildlight has not yet communicated any updates regarding the game’s roadmap or future plans, and it was recently discovered that Highguard’s official website has been taken offline.