adminThe Highguard server shutdown was announced by Wildlight Entertainment after the studio said it had not built a player base large enough to support the game over the long term. The company set March 12, 2026, as the date its servers would go offline and said it planned to release one final update beforehand.
Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment
Highguard server shutdown date and final update
In a social media statement, Wildlight Entertainment said more than two million players had entered Highguard’s world since launch. The studio thanked players for their feedback, community content, and support, while explaining that the game’s audience had not reached a sustainable level.
The announced plan included one last update before the servers went offline. Players who still had access to the game were advised to follow official announcements for details about the update and any final opportunities to play. The statement did not provide further information about what the update would contain.
Why is Highguard shutting down?
Wildlight attributed the decision to its inability to establish a player base that could sustain the game over time. A multiplayer game generally depends on a continuing community to support matchmaking and ongoing development, so player retention can be an important factor in its future. The studio’s statement did not give specific player-retention figures.
Reports earlier that week said fewer than 20 people were working at the studio after layoffs the previous month. Those reports also claimed that the studio’s financing, allegedly provided by Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studio Group, depended on meeting certain performance measures, including player retention. These details were reported claims, rather than figures confirmed in the shutdown announcement.
Highguard’s launch and reception
Highguard was revealed at The Game Awards the previous December and received a mixed response. Marketing ahead of its January 26 launch was limited, as the studio sought to make the release feel like a surprise launch. The approach was intended to echo the shadow-drop release of Apex Legends in 2019.
Wildlight was co-founded by developers who had previously worked at Respawn Entertainment. Its CEO, Dusty Welch, had also served as COO and general manager of Apex. Creative director James McCord explained that the studio’s plan was to announce the game, go quiet, and let players’ next encounter with it be the game itself. He said the team would have followed the same plan even if the initial reception had been different, emphasizing that players needed to experience it.
What players should know
- Announced offline date: March 12, 2026.
- Final update: Wildlight said it intended to release one before the shutdown.
- Reason given: The studio said the player base was not sustainable for long-term support.
Because the announced shutdown date has passed, players checking Highguard’s current availability should verify its status through official game or studio channels. The Highguard server shutdown announcement cited the game’s long-term sustainability as the central issue, while thanking the community that had supported it.
