Highguard Dev Confirms New Patch After Shutdown Fears
▼ Summary
– Wildlight Entertainment confirmed a new patch is in development for Highguard after its website went offline, sparking fears of a shutdown.
– The developer stated that restoring the website is a low priority, and the team is focusing on delivering game updates and new content instead.
– Highguard’s post-launch future was cast into doubt by recent layoffs at Wildlight, despite earlier promises of a full year of content.
– The game initially attracted high player counts but has since suffered a severe drop in concurrent players and negative reviews, damaging its reputation.
– Reports suggest Tencent quietly funded Highguard’s development, though the extent of its involvement remains unclear.
The developer behind Highguard has moved to reassure its community, confirming a new patch is actively in development. This announcement comes directly after technical problems with the game’s official website led many players to fear an imminent and permanent shutdown. Wildlight Entertainment addressed these concerns through a Discord moderator, clarifying that while the website issue is a “low priority,” the team’s primary focus is on delivering meaningful updates and new content to improve the live game experience.
Earlier this week, fans discovered that the official Highguard website had become completely inaccessible, displaying only a generic “site unavailable” message. For a multiplayer shooter that launched just weeks ago on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, this sudden blackout sparked immediate alarm. With the memory of other live-service games shutting down quickly still fresh, the community braced for the worst, suspecting Wildlight Entertainment might be preparing to pull the plug entirely.
Amid growing speculation, a studio representative finally provided clarity. Discord admin WL_Coronach responded to a user’s inquiry, explaining the website situation. “Not sure on the timeframe, but basically it needs to be transferred and simplified,” the message stated. It was notably labeled a “low priority” task, with the comment that “reputational damage [is] already done.” The emphasis, instead, was firmly placed on the development team’s current mission: “Now we just need to focus on delivering updates and content to improve.”
This commitment to ongoing support is a crucial signal for a game whose future was thrown into doubt recently. Shortly after Highguard‘s launch on January 26, which was accompanied by promises of a full year of content already “deep in development,” Wildlight underwent significant layoffs. These staff reductions affected much of the studio, leading to serious questions about its ability to support its new free-to-play title. Given these drastic internal changes, the scope and scale of the promised new update remain unclear, though the dedicated player base seems receptive to any additional content.
The moderator added that once a patch date is finalized, the team will try to provide a preview for the community beforehand. This effort at transparency is a step forward for a project that has been plagued by communication issues from the start. Highguard first entered the public eye in a confusing manner as a last-minute reveal at The Game Awards, and Wildlight’s subsequent silence in the following weeks was widely interpreted as a bad omen.
While the game initially attracted a large audience, boasting over 97,000 concurrent players on Steam at launch, its reputation and player count have since plummeted. A swift wave of negative user reviews critically damaged its standing, and current concurrent player numbers struggle to reach above 1,000. The game’s development background has also drawn scrutiny, with reports suggesting Chinese conglomerate Tencent quietly funded the project, though the details of that involvement are not fully known. For now, the confirmation of a new patch offers a glimmer of hope for players who have remained invested in Highguard‘s turbulent journey.
(Source: IGN)
