Key Takeaways
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- Highguards initial concept was a single-player exploration game, but due to funding issues, it evolved into a more competitive hero shooter with loot and raid mechanics inspired by Rust.
- The games design evolution and stealthy unveiling at The Game Awards 2025 contributed to its underwhelming reception and subsequent financial struggles for the studio.
- Despite reaching over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, Highguard failed to retain its player base due to large empty maps and sparse resources.
- Financial difficulties for Wildlight Entertainment led to significant job cuts, Tencent withdrawing funding, and failure to meet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
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The developers of Highguard previously stated that its loot and raid mechanics were loosely based on the survival and creation simulator Rust. However, a recent Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier reveals that the game was initially envisioned quite differently, including a single-player mode to enhance exploration of the hero shooter’s fictional setting. Ultimately, funding was cut short. Highguard evolved from a Rust-inspired survival game into a more competitive shooter. Schreier’s report details Highguard’s design evolution and the studio’s decision to remain in stealth until its unveiling at The Game Awards 2025, a PR strategy that proved detrimental. Although the game wasn’t fully ready, Geoff Keighley offered Wildlight Entertainment a slot at the event after playing and enjoying a demo. Two weeks after launch, news emerged of significant job cuts at Wildlight. Tencent withdrew funding from Highguard after the game failed to meet its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). GrantDaNasty speculated that Wildlight Entertainment exhausted its venture capital rapidly. Wildlight reportedly tested game configurations with up to four teams before deciding on a 3v3 format.
Jason Schreier’s Insight on Highguard’s Underwhelming Success – Financial Struggles Revealed
Despite reaching over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, Highguard failed to retain its player base. The released version, featuring large maps emphasizing raiding and resource mining, appeared sparse and empty. The shift in design focus, poor PR strategy, and failure to meet KPIs led to the game’s underwhelming reception and subsequent financial difficulties for the studio. Information for this article was sourced from Kotaku and Bloomberg reports.
In Case You Missed It
In other gaming news, mark your calendars for March 14th! Jonathan Dubinski has put together an insightful piece on the upcoming Dev Game Show in São Paulo. Published just last week on February 24th, this free event promises to be a treasure trove for game enthusiasts and developers alike. With 21 Brazilian independent game creators showcasing their latest projects across various genres like 2D survival horror and retro console titles, there’s something for everyone. But it’s not just about the games; there’ll be specialized shops, tournaments, food options, and plenty of opportunities for interaction, all aimed at fostering growth and feedback within Brazil’s indie gaming scene. Head over to Brazilian Game Developers Gather for Free Event in São Paulo to learn more about this exciting, interactive event.
In other news, Carlos Mendoza reveals in his latest post that Sony Films is giving their Spider-Man universe a complete reboot. Published on February 25th, “Sony to Reset Spider-Man Movies Universe Without Spider-Man” discusses how the studio is ditching previous attempts at standalone characters and focusing on new actors and stories, potentially setting the stage for an animated adaptation of Miles Morales’ story from “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”. With the release of “Spider-Man: A New Day” on the horizon, speculation is rife about what this reboot could mean for our favorite web-slinger. Check out Carlos’ insightful article here Sony to Reset Spider-Man Movies Universe Without Spider-Man to dive deeper into this exciting development.
Shifting gears, in an era where online interactions are as common as face-to-face ones, it’s crucial to empower our youth with digital literacy. That’s why you might find Carlos Mendoza’s recent post, “UFSC Project Launches Educational Game on Digital Security for Youth and Teenagers” (2026-02-22), particularly intriguing. Published on February 22nd, this insightful piece delves into an innovative project developed by young apprentices in partnership with UFSC’s Internet Legacy Project. The result? An engaging 2D adventure game, “Lelê and the Threats in the Metaverse”, designed to educate adolescents about digital security and safe internet use while keeping them entertained. Packed with real-life scenarios and support materials, this open-source tool is a must-read for parents, educators, and anyone concerned about the online well-being of our youth. Check it out here: UFSC Project Launches Educational Game on Digital Security for Youth and Teenagers.
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Links to external sources for further reading
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- 4) Company troubles and loss of player trust4) Company troubles and loss of player trustwindowsforum.com