More details about the development of Highguard have been revealed courtesy of a report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. The details go into how Wildlight Entertainment ultimately launched the PvP raid shooter with a 3v3 mode that would serve as the core foundation around which the game was made, as well as how feedback from extensive testing was less-than-ideal despite being generally positive.
The extensive testing Wildlight Entertainment went through in the final year of Highguard‘s development resulted in positive reactions. However, many blind spots were noted, such as the overall complexity of the general gameplay structure, as well as the fact that communication through voice chat was key for the testers’ enjoyment. Tests without voice chat ended up being a worse experience, according to former employees of the studio. Along with this, the game’s complexity was never addressed since the testers had access to developers that could answer any questions about gameplay mechanics.
When the idea of getting a larger amount of feedback through a public test release came up, Wildlight’s leadership apparently refused. Despite many other games, including recent releases like Battlefield 6 and ARC Raiders seeing success through external testing, the studio was adamant on going with a stealthier launch for Highguard in the vein of Apex Legends.
Despite these issues, however, the environment at Wildlight Entertainment was still described as “a healthy, collaborative, transparent” one, with employees noting that they loved working there until the last two months. Morale would eventually start sinking as the studio got closer to its The Game Awards unveiling.
As for the original plans for Highguard if the game were to be successful, the developers seemingly wanted to recreate the fate of the Titanfall franchise. While the first entry in the shooter was multiplayer-only, the critically-acclaimed second one would expand on its universe in interesting ways thanks to its beloved single-player campaign. However, considering the current state of the game, we are unlikely to see these plans come to fruition.
The title was also undoubtedly harmed by its debut trailer at The Game Awards 2025 in December, closing out the show with a trailer. While the trailer, coming about thanks to TGA host Geoff Keighley finding the project interesting, raised many questions, Wildlight Entertainment went radio silent until the game’s eventual January 26th release. In fact, even employees at the studio were encouraged to avoid social media thanks to the general rise in negativity surrounding the announcement.
The same report has also revealed that, following the lay-offs at Wildlight Entertainment, only 20 developers now remain to work on the game. According to a former employee, the studio was originally made up of 100 people, and there was apparently enough “financial runway” to offer post-launch support for Highguard. However, studio leadership revealed in a meeting on February 11th that Wildlight was “out of money”.
A report from earlier this month has also indicated that, despite proclaiming itself to be completely independent, Wildlight Entertainment was getting financial backing from Tencent’s TiMi Studio Group. Described as “the undisclosed lead financial backer,” TiMi apparently didn’t have much say in the creative aspects of Highguard‘s development. The studio’s employees also didn’t seem to be aware of this funding, with the report noting that it was “one of several mysteries swirling around the studio”.
Highguard is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S for free.
