Studio Desperately Tries to Prevent Highguard’s Collapse with New Update

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Wildlight Entertainment’s hero shooter, Highguard, is experiencing a rapid decline in players just months after its January 2026 release. According to SteamDB data, the game recorded only 694 concurrent players yesterday, a significant drop from the average of 13,000 daily users in early February. Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded in 2021 by former Respawn Entertainment developers, first revealed Highguard at The Game Awards in late 2025, closing the show with considerable fanfare. In an attempt to reverse this trend, Wildlight Entertainment plans to release a substantial update as early as February 27th, introducing a new “Raid Rush” mode designed to offer a faster, more action-focused experience by removing the resource-gathering phase. In Raid Rush, teams of five alternate between attacking and defending bases. Bases will repair automatically, and all players will have the same level of armor, with rarity increasing each round. Players can team up with Trader Flynn to upgrade weapons and gear using Vesper earned at the end of each round, which can be spent on unique items from the Trader. The mode focuses on combat, with the only management involving optional purchases from the arena shop.

New Update Enhances Raid Phase and Introduces Raid Rush Mode for Highguard’s Turnaround

The update also includes improvements such as a “Comeback Kill” mechanic, changes to the Reviver Amulet, new respawn points in Smuggers Den, and weapon balance adjustments. In addition to the Raid Rush mode, a new game mode highlighting the Raid phase is scheduled for release next week. The in-game shop will soon offer a riding animal and additional skins. These changes follow a period of instability for Wildlight. Highguard’s main financial backer, Tencent, recently withdrew funding, leading to layoffs that reduced the development team from 100 to approximately 20. Compounding these issues, developers clarified that a recent website shutdown was due to a server switch, an incident that further damaged the game’s reputation following the funding cut. Despite these efforts, it’s a considerable challenge for Highguard to gain traction, given its weak initial reception and the intense competition in the team-based action game market. With established titles and the upcoming public test phase of Marathon, Wildlight faces an uphill battle to convince players to give Highguard a second chance through the streamlined Raid Rush mode.

In Case You Missed It

In other thrilling news, Carlos Mendoza has been busy exploring the superhero realm and the world of gaming, all while keeping an eye on innovative digital education projects. First up, he dives into the latest Spider-Man universe developments in his recent article “Sony to Reset Spider-Man Movies Universe Without Spider-Man” Sony to Reset Spider-Man Movies Universe Without Spider-Man. Sony Films CEO Tom Rothman has confirmed a complete reboot for the expanded universe, sparking optimism around live-action adaptations like “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” focusing on Miles Morales. Meanwhile, gaming enthusiasts should mark their calendars for March 14th as Jonathan Dubinski brings us “Brazilian Game Developers Gather for Free Event in São Paulo” Brazilian Game Developers Gather for Free Event in São Paulo. This isn’t your average gaming event; it’s a showcase of 21 independent Brazilian developers sharing their latest projects, from 2D survival horror to retro console classics. Plus, it’s all about fostering communication between devs and players with specialized shops, tournaments, and food options – and it’s free! Just bring some non-perishable food or pet supplies for charity. Lastly, in our ongoing exploration of innovative digital education solutions, Carlos uncovers a promising project from UFSC transforming digital security learning into an engaging 2D adventure game called “Lelê and the Threats in the Metaverse”. Check out his article “UFSC Project Launches Educational Game on Digital Security for Youth and Teenagers” UFSC Project Launches Educational Game on Digital Security for Youth and Teenagers to see how they’re tackling serious online concerns like non-consensual exposure and social isolation, making learning fun for young internet users.