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The Story Behind the Failure of ‘Highguard’

The ‘raid shooter’ game from Wildlight Entertainment had a promising start but lost players fast
‘Highguard’ had a promising start but lost players fastPhotographer: Wildlight Entertainment
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Hi everyone. Today we’ve got a bonus column unpacking one of 2026’s first gaming disasters — the sudden collapse of Wildlight Entertainment and its first game, Highguard.

On a warm evening this past December in Los Angeles, employees from the video-game studio Wildlight Entertainment gathered in the lobby bar of the JW Marriott. They’d just announced their new game, Highguard, at the Game Awards, hosted inside a theater next door. Now it was time to drink and celebrate.