- Wildlight Entertainment has laid off an unspecified number of Highguard developers
- The studio confirmed the layoffs, but confirmed that a “core group of developers” will continue to work on the game
- The free-to-play hero shooter launched just two weeks ago
Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed that it has laid off an unspecified number of staff, just two weeks after the launch of its live-service hero shooter, Highguard.
According to former senior-level designer Alex Graner (via IGN), it appears that most of the development team has been affected. “Unfortunately, along with most of the team at Wildlight, I was laid off today,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
Graner added, “This one really stings as there was a lot of unreleased content I was really looking forward to that I and others designed for Highguard.”
At this time, it’s unclear just how many employees have been cut, but the studio’s LinkedIn states that it had as many as 200 employees.
Wildlight Entertainment has also released a statement, confirming the layoffs.
“Today we made an incredibly difficult decision to part ways with a number of our team members while keeping a core group of developers to continue innovating on and supporting the game,” it said in a social media post.
“We’re proud of the team, talent, and the product we’ve created together. We’re also grateful for players who gave the game a shot, and those who continue to be a part of our community.”
In terms of what this means for its new hero shooter, a representative told Eurogamer that work on the game will continue, but will be given to a “core group of developers”. How many are included in that group is unclear.
Tech artist Josh Sobel was also laid off, saying on X / Twitter, “It was the best team I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve never put so much of myself into a project before. I wouldn’t trade the past 2.5+ yrs for anything.”
In a separate post, Sobel said, “I LOVED working at Wildight,” adding, “It wasn’t just a gig to me. 2.5yrs of working towards a promising, rose-tinted future, with the most passionate and efficient devs on the planet.”
Sobel continued: “I don’t think gamers really understand just how special this group of talented devs was. There were stumbles, as any new team would face, but our ability to execute on goals and pivot at a moment’s notice was unmatched. I am devastated that this team as a complete unit can no longer be.
“We accomplished a lot, and I couldn’t be more proud. But it’s hard to believe it’s over. Hard to believe that this was the result of all our efforts. I wish the best of luck to everyone who remains at Wildlight. If the numbers climb, I’ll be the first in line to apply again.”
Created by former Apex Legends and Titanfall developers, Highguard was announced at The Game Awards in December and launched just over a month later for free.
If you’re thinking about checking it out, the game is now available to play on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.
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