Highguard Servers Closing March 12 Just 45 Days After January Launch

by on March 5, 2026

Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed that its multiplayer live-service shooter Highguard will permanently shut down on March 12, 2026, ending the game’s short run less than two months after release. The free-to-play squad shooter launched on January 26, 2026, which means the title will be online for only 45 days before servers go offline and the game becomes unplayable.

The announcement came through a statement posted by the studio on X. In the message, the developer addressed players who joined the game after its launch and acknowledged the early interest it received. “Since launch, more than 2 million players stepped into Highguard’s world. You shared feedback, created content, and many believed in what we were building. For that, we are deeply grateful.”

The studio also explained why the game will shut down so quickly after release. “Despite the passion and hard work of our team, we have not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term. Servers will remain online until March 12th. We hope you’ll jump in with us one more time to show your support and get those final great matches in while we still can.”

Before the shutdown takes effect, the remaining team will release one final update for the game. The patch is expected to arrive either tonight or tomorrow, and it will add several pieces of new content, including a new playable Warden, a new weapon, skill trees, and other changes. After that update goes live, the servers will remain available until the scheduled shutdown date.

Highguard first appeared publicly with a reveal during The Game Awards in December 2026. The debut generated conversation across the game industry, especially because the project came from Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded by developers who previously worked on franchises such as Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and Titanfall. The game served as the studio’s first release and had been in development for four years.

Reports connected to the project also described Tencent as a partial financial backer. Information about that support and discussion of a potentially flawed development process later surfaced as people inside the industry tried to understand why the game struggled after launch.

Although more than 2 million players entered the game’s world during its early weeks, activity on PC declined quickly. According to SteamDB data, Highguard had only a few hundred PC players per day in recent weeks.

Internal changes at the studio followed soon after launch. In February, Wildlight laid off most of its staff, leaving behind only a “core team.” A short time later, the Highguard website went offline, which led players to question whether the project was nearing its end.

The shutdown arrives during a period in which multiple live-service projects have ended shortly after release. One of the most widely discussed examples is Sony’s sci-fi shooter Concord, which launched in August 2024 and went offline after two weeks even though the game had spent eight years in development. Another example involves 2XKO, a fighting game from League of Legends developer Riot, where the development team experienced layoffs a few weeks after launch.

Publishers and developers continue to pursue live-service games because titles such as Fortnite generate large player counts and steady revenue streams. However, recent launches demonstrate how difficult it can be for new projects to maintain a stable player base. A few recent games have found success, including Arc Raiders, though those cases remain uncommon.

Efforts to enter the live-service space also extend beyond studios known for multiplayer games. Remedy Entertainment, the developer behind Alan Wake, has attempted to expand into live-service releases as well, though those projects produced less-than-stellar results.

Despite cancellations and studio closures connected to this type of project, companies continue to pursue new releases in the category. Sony, for example, remains involved with upcoming titles including Marathon and a co-op Horizon spinoff.

Players responded to the shutdown announcement on X with a range of reactions. One user wrote, “What a waste of so much time, talent, and money. Genuinely feel so bad for the devs who work so hard on major AAA games and just get shafted.”

Another user commented, “We are witnessing the era of two month lifespan shooters.”


Game Developer has contacted Wildlight Entertainment for comment and plans to update the report if the company responds.