Wildlight Entertainment has announced that its free-to-play multiplayer siege shooter Highguard will permanently shut down on March 12.
The game only launched on January 26.
While the writing has arguably been on the wall for weeks, today’s confirmation still lands as a sobering moment both for players who stuck with the game and for a studio that bet big on breaking into one of the most competitive spaces in modern gaming.
Highguard debuted as the final world premiere at The Game Awards 2025. The reveal drew a mixed reaction some intrigued, others fatigued by yet another live-service multiplayer shooter entering an already crowded market.
At launch, player numbers were reportedly strong. More than two million players stepped into the game’s world, according to Wildlight’s statement. But the early momentum didn’t last.
Despite a publicly outlined year-long roadmap and meaningful post-launch updates, the player base rapidly declined. Within weeks, the studio laid off the majority of its staff. Since then, questions about the game’s long-term viability have lingered.
Today, those questions have answers.
Servers Stay Live Until March 12
In a message shared across social media, Wildlight confirmed that the shutdown is permanent.
The studio cited an inability to build a sustainable player base large enough to support the game long-term.
Servers will remain online until March 12, and one final update is set to arrive either tonight or tomorrow morning. That patch will include:
- A new playable Warden
- A new weapon
- Account level progression
- Skill trees
Full patch notes are expected alongside the update.
The studio ended its statement by thanking players for their support, feedback, and time spent in Highguard’s world.
What Happens To Wildlight?
Wildlight’s announcement does not clarify whether the studio itself will remain operational.
According to a recent report from Jason Schreier at Bloomberg, fewer than 20 employees currently remain at the developer.
Wildlight was founded by former developers from Respawn Entertainment, including talent that worked on Apex Legends and Titanfall 2. While operating independently, Highguard was at least partially funded by Tencent.
Whether the studio can secure new funding or pivot to another project remains unclear.
Highguard will remain playable for just over a week.
For the players who believed in it, this final update offers one last reason to jump back in and squeeze out a few more matches before the servers go dark.
As for Wildlight, its future remains uncertain.
And for the industry at large, Highguard’s shutdown is another stark reminder: in today’s live-service battlefield, even promising ideas can disappear almost overnight.
1-Up Games 
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