Rumors are circulating online that Highguard, the recently released free-to-play shooter, could be shutting down soon. Since its launch in late January, the number of active players in Highguard has rapidly and significantly declined. So much so, that developer Wildlight Entertainment was forced to lay off most of its staff last week. Following the move, it's increasingly likely that Highguard itself could soon be offline.
The main reason many believe Highguard may be shutting down lies in the game's website. As of early this morning, the Highguard website has been offline. Wildlight Entertainment has not explained why, but the fact that it has happened could indicate that the studio is starting to pull the plug on the game.
If this were to happen, it wouldn't be a surprise. Highguard's active player count has dropped by almost 99 percent in recent weeks.
According to available data from Steam Charts, the game had a peak attendance of almost 100.000 players.
In the past 24 hours, Highguard has only peaked at 1.600 players. Such a low number suggests that Wildlight is likely considering what to do with the game in the future, which could eventually lead to its shutdown, similar to what happened with the infamous PlayStation fiasco Concord.
At launch, Wildlight announced a content plan for Highguard that would last until the end of 2026. The new content included new maps, playable characters, and additional weapons for the multiplayer shooter. It's still unclear whether these previous plans will remain in place, given that a large number of former Highguard developers have been let go from Wildlight.
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