Widlight Entertainment laid off most of its staff in early 2026, just weeks after the studio launched Highguard, its free-to-play shooter first revealed at The Game Awards in December 2025. Level Designer Alex Graner posted on LinkedIn, writing, “Unfortunately, along with most of the team at Wildlight, I was laid off today.”
Tech Artist Josh Soble confirmed the layoffs on X, stating, “Today I was laid off from Wildlight along with most of the staff.” Soble described his experience on the project and listed the kinds of roles and skills he can provide while he looks for new work.
Today I was laid off from Wildlight along with most of the staff. 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. I'm still spinning, and won't be in a place to start thinking… pic.twitter.com/AimTVwrJ7N
— Josh Sobel (@Joshiepoo25) February 11, 2026
MP1st reported that Highguard opened with a very large PC peak at launch but lost most of its player base quickly; the piece notes a reported near-100,000 concurrent Steam peak at launch and a recent 24-hour peak of about 3,600 players on Steam, per Steam Charts, according to MP1st. The rapid drop in online players appears to have coincided with the studio trying to iterate fast. Developers pushed an early content update that added a new Warden location within the month after launch.
Multiple affected developers are now seeking new positions. Widlight has not published a public breakdown of staff changes or a formal statement on the layoffs. Share your thoughts about which launch decision mattered most for Highguard and follow for updates X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.
Highguard
Developed by Wildlight Entertainment
From the creators of Apex Legends and Titanfall, comes Highguard: a PvP raid shooter where players will ride, fight, and raid as Wardens, arcane gunslingers sent to fight for control of a mythical continent.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Multiplayer
- Release: 2026-01-26
- Publisher: Wildlight Entertainment
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Age Rating:
ESRB T
- IGDB Rating: 40.6/100
