Home / Business and Economy / Wildlight's Highguard: A Rapid Collapse
Wildlight's Highguard: A Rapid Collapse
26 Feb
Summary
- Wildlight Entertainment collapsed just weeks after launching Highguard.
- Former Respawn developers founded Wildlight seeking profit sharing.
- Tencent pulled funding after Highguard failed to retain players.
Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded by former Respawn developers in 2021, has suddenly collapsed. The studio's first game, Highguard, launched on January 26, 2026, but failed to retain its audience. Despite an initial peak of nearly 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, player retention dropped by approximately 90% within a week.
The studio was founded by developers who desired more direct financial benefits from a successful game, implementing a profit-sharing program. They secured significant funding from Tencent Holdings Ltd. However, the development of Highguard faced challenges, including a pivot from a survival shooter concept to a 'raid shooter' aiming for competitive play.
Following the game's poor performance and rapid player drop-off, Tencent reportedly withdrew its funding. This led to Wildlight announcing layoffs for most of its staff on February 11, 2026, just two weeks after Highguard's debut. A small team remains, attempting to salvage the game.
