Highguard to Close This Month

Another live-service game is shutting down shortly after release: the free-to-play squad shooter Highguard. Despite reaching 2 million players, developer Wildlight Entertainment announced the game would be permanently closed on March 12th, less than two months after its January 26th debut. Wildlight explained that they couldn’t maintain a sustainable player base. Before the game ends, an update will add a new character and weapon. Highguard’s future looked uncertain since its announcement at The Game Awards. Wildlight, backed by Tencent and with former developers from Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and Titanfall, laid off most staff in February, and the game’s website went down soon after, raising concerns. The quick end for Highguard reflects a trend in live-service games. Sony recently closed down the sci-fi shooter Concord, and Riot’s 2XKO faced layoffs shortly post-launch. The industry continues to chase successes like Fortnite, but breakthroughs remain rare. Despite challenges, the pursuit of live-service hits continues, with Sony backing games such as Marathon and a co-op Horizon spinoff.