Wildlight Entertainment Confirms Layoffs Weeks After Highguard's Debut

Wildlight Entertainment, the developer behind the recently released game Highguard, has undergone a round of layoffs. The news first surfaced through posts on LinkedIn from affected employees before the company confirmed the decision in a public statement. The layoffs occurred approximately two weeks after Highguard launched on January 26.

The staff reductions at Wildlight appear to have affected a wide range of departments. Roles impacted include gameplay engineers, software engineers, and UI designers, among others. On LinkedIn, level designer Alex Garner stated that "most of the team at Wildlight" had been let go. The exact number of employees affected has not been officially verified. When asked for more information, Wildlight representatives directed inquiries to their statement on X.

"Today we made an incredibly difficult decision to part ways with a number of our team members while keeping a core group of developers to continue innovating on and supporting the game. We're proud of the team, talent, and the product we've created together. We're also grateful for players who gave the game a shot, and those who continue to be a part of our community."

I see the game's initial reveal was unconventional. Highguard was first shown during the 2025 Game Awards, occupying the final "one more thing" slot. The debut trailer was visually impressive but offered little explanation of the game's core mechanics, leaving the community to speculate. A press event in late January revealed more details in Polygon's interview with Wildlight, clarifying the gameplay and its development. It was also at this time that developers shared that Game Awards host Geoff Keighley had encouraged them to debut the game at the show, against their original plan to release it without prior announcement.

Despite positive initial reviews, Highguard did not immediately attract a large player base. In response to player feedback, the studio introduced a 5v5 mode that was so well-received it became a permanent feature. Shortly before the layoff news, the game received its first new character and a significant gameplay update, suggesting a positive trajectory. Studio head Chad Grenier had previously stated in a January interview with Polygon that "it doesn't matter" if the game "gets a thousand people or a hundred million people," and confirmed the studio had a year of content planned.

Wildlight describes Highguard as a "PvP raid shooter," a term born out of necessity rather than an attempt to coin a new genre. Design and creative director Jason McCord explained that the team focused on creating something new and later had to find a way to describe it. The game's primary mode involves two teams of three fighting to control a "Shieldbreaker" to dismantle the enemy's base shield before infiltrating and destroying objectives inside. The development process was lengthy and involved significant iteration.

At one point, matches featured eight teams in chaotic, two-and-a-half-hour-long games with no clear winner. Lead game designer Carlos Pineda noted that the team eventually scaled the format down to 3v3 to ensure players could maintain situational awareness during intense fights.

The game's world is a mix of fantasy and grounded military aesthetics. McCord described the technology level as "World War I Plus Plus," where technology like radar exists, but not modern conveniences like wi-fi or screens. The team wanted to use realistic-feeling guns because players can immediately understand them, a principle McCord called "no magic hands."

I do believe the choice of mounts, like bears and horses, came later in development after a designer prototyped a character riding a bear, which the team felt added to the fantasy of the world. While the game features eight unique characters, or Wardens, the developers' primary focus was on the game mode itself. They were initially hesitant about the "hero shooter" label but found that the characters' unique abilities ultimately enhanced the core raid experience. Elements were also left on the cutting room floor, such as a base-building feature that was ultimately removed because, according to Grenier, "the game without it was better." The developers have hinted that some abandoned ideas could reappear later as limited-time modes or new content.

Read also, Highguard's Episode 2 update arrived on February 6, introducing a new shapeshifting character named Ekon. The update also brought a new map, a competitive ranked mode for players to test their skills, and a new mount available for everyone.