Highguard developer Wildlight Entertainment confirms layoffs, says a smaller team will keep supporting the game

Wildlight Entertainment has laid off an unspecified number of employees, the studio confirmed this week. In a statement posted on social media, Wildlight said a “core group of developers” is staying on to keep working on and supporting its free-to-play shooter, Highguard.

The company didn’t share a headcount or which departments were hit. A former Wildlight level designer, Alex Graner, suggested the cuts were broad, writing on LinkedIn that “most of the team” had been let go and that there was unreleased content he and others had been building for the game.

Wildlight’s post framed the decision as a way to keep the project going with a smaller staff, saying it would continue “innovating on and supporting the game.” It also thanked players who tried Highguard and those still in the community.

The layoffs follow a rocky stretch for the studio. Last month, Wildlight CEO and founder Dusty Welch publicly said he wished Highguard “had been received better,” and talked about the mixed response to the game’s reveal at The Game Awards. He also pointed to limited marketing ahead of the game’s January 27, 2026 launch.

For now, the main takeaway for players is that Highguard isn’t being shut down, but future content plans may be impacted given the size of the remaining team.