Highguard game developer cuts staff two weeks post-launch

Highguard was developed by a team previously involved with Call of Duty and other popular franchises

The company behind a multiplayer shooter that took center stage at The Game Awards has recently let go of several employees just a fortnight after it hit the market.

Highguard made its debut during the end-of-show preview at December's event, a slot typically reserved for the biggest titles to come.

Though crafted by industry veterans who worked on hits like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Titanfall, the free-to-play game has had challenges in keeping players engaged since its January launch.

Developer Wildlight Entertainment shared they had reached "a very hard choice to let some of our team members go".

Highguard's grand debut at The Game Awards received lukewarm feedback, with fans bewildered by its prominent spotlight.

Critics noted the trailer did not clearly convey how the game functioned or what made it stand out in the busy multiplayer market.

There has been criticism directed at Highguard's creators for insufficient marketing leading up to its release, which was made public on short notice following a period of silence.

Upon its release on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on January 26, the press mostly had favourable reviews, noting the game brought a fresh perspective to the genre.

Initially, it drew almost 100,000 players on PC and about 380,000 spectators on Twitch, based on figures from tracking site SteamDB.

Yet, these numbers have plummeted, with only 3,600 concurrent PC users reported the day the layoffs were disclosed.

Nevertheless, a core group of loyal players remain, and the developers had already planned a year's worth of updates.

Highguard faced significant challenges following negative responses to its unveiling and minimal marketing as the launch neared.

In a message, Game Awards organiser Geoff Keighley stated it was "a regrettable, tough, and dismal conclusion for a game I appreciated in early testing".