The development team behind Xbox FPS Highguard — Wildlight Entertainment — has today announced that just a "core group of developers" are now working on the title following layoffs at the Californian studio.
Following initial reports from team members who'd been let go by the company, the Highguard dev posted out to social media to formally announce the restructure, whilst adding that it was "proud of the team" and "grateful for players who gave the game a shot".
"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. 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."
This is an unfortunate, if somewhat predictable turn of events for Highguard and the team at Wildlight. The game was met with a fairly negative reception following its high-profile reveal at The Game Awards 2025, and it had been fighting an uphill battle since. Recent additions like a 5v5 mode gave the game a boost, but seemingly not enough of one for the team to hold onto the majority of its developers.
As the above statement suggests, Highguard isn't dead yet, mind you. Wildlight says it has "a core group of developers to continue innovating on and supporting the game" in place, so we'll just have to wait and see what's next for the Xbox Series X|S FPS. The outlook feels a little bleak though, we must admit.