Highguard
News, coverage and analysis tracking Highguard across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Was Highguard Always Doomed To Fail?
The developers of Highguard have announced the permanent shutdown of the game on March 12. Over 2 million players have engaged with Highguard's world since its launch. The team expressed gratitude for player feedback and belief in their project.
2XKO is no longer in PlayStation 6 top downloads charts and nobody is remotely shocked
Riot Games' 2XKO has fallen off PlayStation's download charts, indicating lower-than-expected popularity for the 2v2 fighting game. Despite attempts to market it as a mainstream title and introduce expensive cosmetic skins, the game struggles to gain traction beyond the dedicated fighting game community, leading to layoffs and questions about its long-term viability.
Highguard Shutdown Proves Sony’s Live-Service Strategy Is Failing
The shutdown of Highguard highlights Sony's struggling live-service strategy, with players and critics pointing to a market oversaturated with online-only games. This trend is blamed for studio layoffs and a lack of compelling single-player exclusives on PlayStation 5, despite the success of narrative-driven titles like The Last of Us and Elden Ring.
You’ve got a whopping one week to play Highguard’s last patch, hero, and account progression system
Wildlight has released the final update for its hero shooter Highguard, introducing an account progression system, a new hero named Koldo, and a new gun. The game is scheduled to shut down on March 12th, after a brief 45-day lifespan, due to an inability to build a sustainable player base despite an initial surge in popularity.
Morning Patches
Several games have received new updates and patches. Delta Force has launched its mid-season update, EA SPORTS FC 26 released Title Update v1.5.0, Highguard has received its final patch, and Human Fall Flat added a new free Viking-themed level.
Highguard's Final 'Farewell Tour' Patch Gives Everyone a New Warden and Skill Tree to Play Around With Until the Very End - IGN
Highguard, the free-to-play PvP raid shooter developed by Wildlight, is releasing its final update before shutting down on March 12. The 'Farewell Tour' patch introduces a new Warden named Koldo, a versatile Switchback weapon, account progression with a new skill tree, and various gameplay enhancements. Despite a strong initial launch on PC, the game saw a significant drop in player count, leading to studio layoffs and the eventual closure.
Highguard's final update - which Wildlight's "skeleton crew" crunched to finish - goes live, just days before the game disappears forever
Wildlight has released the final update for its free-to-play hero shooter Highguard, featuring a new Warden named Koldo, the Switchback weapon, and a new skill tree. Creative director Jason McCord acknowledged the 'skeleton crew' that worked to complete the update before the game's permanent shutdown. Despite the game's impending closure due to dwindling player numbers and funding issues, the team aimed to deliver these final features.
Highguard's beefy final update is live, with a "skeleton crew" having voluntarily "crunched" to get it out ahead of shutdown
Ahead of its March 12th shutdown, Highguard has received its final update, featuring new skill trees, a weapon called the Switchback, and a new warden named Koldo. This update was developed by a dedicated 'skeleton crew' at Wildlight who voluntarily worked overtime to complete it. Despite some compromises due to the rushed development, the additions are not expected to significantly impact the player experience.
(For Southeast Asia) PlayStation Store: February 2026’s top downloads
PlayStation has revealed the top downloaded games for February 2026 across PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play titles in various regions. Resident Evil 4 and its zombie-themed content dominated the charts in both US/Canada and Asia for PS5.
List of Games That Shut Down Soon After Launch
This article lists several live-service games that experienced extremely short lifespans after launch, with some shutting down within days or weeks due to low player counts or negative reception. Notable examples include The Day Before (4 days), The Culling 2 (8 days), and Concord (14 days), highlighting the challenges of sustaining online games in a competitive market.
Highguard gets a new playable character, skill trees and more ahead of next week's closure
Despite its impending closure on March 12, Highguard has received a significant final update introducing a new playable Warden character, account progression systems, and skill trees. Creative director Jason McCord stated the update was a passion project from the development team for the remaining player base.
Flop FPS Highguard's Stats Show Steam Concurrents Are Just One Piece of the Puzzle
The failed FPS Highguard's player data indicates that PlayStation 5 was its largest platform, challenging the industry's heavy reliance on Steam concurrent player statistics. Despite better performance on PS5, the game is shutting down on March 12th due to an insufficient audience across all platforms.
Highguard stänger för gott
Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed that their free-to-play shooter Highguard will be shut down on March 12, less than two months after its January 26 release. Despite efforts and a player base of over two million, the game failed to build a sustainable community. Developers with experience from Apex Legends and Titanfall were involved in its creation.
Highguard director shares stats and thoughts on the game's failure, denies conspiracy theories about where it all went wrong: 'Nobody will know the true story of the studio or game'
Wildlight Entertainment has shut down its live service game Highguard after only 37 days due to unsustainable revenue, despite attracting over two million players. Studio head Chad Grenier shared performance insights and denied conspiracy theories, stating that the team made mistakes and the game simply didn't resonate with players. Tencent had previously pulled its funding for the project.
PlayStation Store: February 2026’s top downloads
Resident Evil Requiem led the download charts for PlayStation 5 in both the US and EU regions for February 2026. The article provides comprehensive download rankings for PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play titles on the PlayStation Store.
Highguard will shut down just 45 days after launch — 'We are witnessing the era of two month lifespan…
Wildlight Entertainment has announced that its online shooter Highguard will shut down on March 12, 2026, just 45 days after its January 26, 2026 launch. The studio cited an inability to build a sustainable player base despite over two million players engaging with the game. This closure follows a trend of high-profile live-service game failures, including Sony's Concord.
Highguard Will Officially End Service This Month
Wildlight Entertainment announced that its free-to-play shooter Highguard will cease operations on March 12, just 45 days after its January 26 launch. The developer cited an inability to build a sustainable player base, with reports indicating Tencent withdrew funding due to poor commercial performance and low player retention. The game remains available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.
With A Week Left To Live, Highguard Releases A Season's Worth Of Updates
Despite its impending shutdown on March 12, Highguard is receiving a final, substantial update titled "The Farewell Tour." This update introduces account progression with a skill tree, a new weapon, and a new playable Warden named Koldo. Wildlight Entertainment's skeleton crew developed this update as a labor of love for the remaining player base.
Trump administration debates getting Chinese Tencent money out of US gaming over feared security risks
The Trump administration is reportedly debating whether to force Chinese company Tencent to divest its US gaming investments, citing national security concerns. This includes Tencent's full ownership of Riot Games and a significant stake in Epic Games. The administration is also concerned about Tencent's influence on games like Clash of Clans, despite its Finnish development.
Highguard shutting down this month as live service obsession claims new victim
Wildlight Entertainment's hero shooter Highguard will permanently shut down on March 12, 2026, less than two months after its January 26 launch. Despite initial strong player numbers, the game failed to maintain a sustainable audience, leading to staff layoffs and Tencent reportedly pulling funding. The game's director, Chad Grenier, shared player statistics indicating PlayStation 5 as the primary platform and the US as the largest audience.
