Highguard developer Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed a new patch is in the works after issues related to its official website sparked fears that a full shutdown was imminent.
The already troubled multiplayer shooter’s first month in players’ hands took a turn for the worse earlier this week when fans noticed access to its official website had been closed off without warning. With all that remained of playhighguard.com being a “site unavailable” message and social media links, many believed the full experience, which launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S just weeks ago, would soon be taken offline for good.
As concerns that Highguard could soon go the way of Concord boiled, Wildlight finally stepped in (via CharlieIntel). Discord server admin and moderator WL_Coronach replied to one fan’s question about the website’s status earlier today, assuring them and others it would eventually come back online – even if it’s currently a “low priority” issue. Instead, the developer has put most of its focus on “updates and content.”
“Not sure on the timeframe, but basically needs to be transferred and simplified,” the full message says. “Low priority [at the moment] ( reputational damage already done ). Now we just need to focus on delivering updates and content to improve.”
Wildlight had teased its first full year of content was already “deep in development” when Highguard launched January 26. While an early February content update proved that work on post-launch features was indeed underway, layoffs affecting much of the studio’s staff immediately called both its future, as well as the future of its new game, into question.
With Wildlight facing drastic changes in the last week alone, it’s unclear what a new Highguard update would look like. Still, those who have stuck by the free-to-play game seem to be satisfied with any additional content at all.
“Once we lock in the patch date I’ll see if we can get a patch preview up for you guys a bit beforehand,” WL_Coronach added in a follow-up reply.
Highguard’s woes began the moment Geoff Keighley showed it as the one-last-thing announcement at The Game Awards 2025. Confusion about its place at the show turned into concern in the weeks that followed, as players took Wildlight’s silence as a sign the game could be in trouble. Although it eventually launched to high player counts on Steam, a wave of negative user reviews quickly helped tank its reputation online.
Highguard reached more than 97,000 concurrent players on the PC platform on its release date but is struggling to crack more than 1,000 today (according to SteamDB). A Game File report recently suggested that Chinese megacorporation Tencent quietly funded its development, though the extent of its potential involvement remains unclear.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
