Highguard may be about to suffer the same fate as PS5’s Concord, as the developer lays off ‘most’ of its staff

(Credit: Wildlight Entertainment)

• 😬 Highguard, the latest high-profile multiplayer shooter from Wildlight Entertainment, could soon go the way of Concord on the PS5

• ☹️ The developer announced an extensive round of layoffs in a statement on X, as staffers announced they had been let go on LinkedIn

• 📆 When Highguard launched on January 26, it nearly hit 100,000 concurrent players on Steam

• 📉 The game now has just nearly 2,400 concurrent players, and a ‘Mixed’ review rating

Highguard, a new multiplayer shooter from devs who’ve worked on games such as Apex Legends and Call of Duty in the past, could suffer the same fate as Concord.

According to posts from staffers at Wildlight Entertainment, the developer behind Highguard, the firm is already cutting jobs.

In a post on LinkedIn, Wildlight level designer Alex Graner stated that “most of the team at Wildlight” was laid off today – this was then backed up by Wildlight’s former lead tech artist, Josh Sobel, in a separate post.

In a statement on X, Wildlight confirmed that “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.”

The developer went on to say that it is “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.”

Highguard was first announced as the final reveal of The Game Awards 2025, with a reveal trailer noting a January 26 launch date.

On launch, the game hit nearly 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, although in a matter of three weeks, it has dropped down to just over 2,400 concurrent players, and has a ‘Mixed’ review rating on the store.

The game launched with three-player teams, although Wildlight soon added a limited-time 5v5 mode that it later made permanent. However, it seems little to have changed the game’s fortunes, and with layoffs taking place, Highguard’s days may already be numbered.

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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.