Summary
"Highguard," an online multiplayer game launched in January 2025, will permanently close on March 12. The game started with a high number of players but quickly lost popularity, leading to its shutdown by development studio Wildlight after investor Tencent withdrew financial support.
Key Facts
- "Highguard" was introduced at the 2025 Game Awards.
- The game was developed by Wildlight, a team of experienced game developers.
- At launch, "Highguard" had 97,000 players but numbers quickly dropped.
- Financial backer Tencent pulled funding shortly after the game's release.
- Wildlight had to lay off many staff members as a result.
- The game will be permanently shut down on March 12.
- Despite the closure, a new game update was announced to be available for just a week.
- Similar shutdowns have recently occurred in the gaming industry, highlighting challenges in the "games as a service" model.
