Following its debut at The Game Awards 2025, Highguard has been met with a mixed reception, and now, it is finally pulling the plug.

Wildlight announced on the 4th through various official channels that they are shutting down Highguard. The service is set to terminate on March 12th. In an official statement, Wildlight noted, "We have made the difficult decision to permanently end Highguard services," adding, "We are deeply grateful to all the players who have been with us on this journey."

Highguard certainly caught some eyes early on, pulling in over 2 million users at launch. It aimed to shake up the PvP market with its unique 'Warden' system, fast-paced combat, and team-based tactics. However, the lack of a distinct identity and poor optimization meant the concurrent player count plummeted rather quickly. In the end, the player numbers and critical reception failed to meet expectations, and internal instability at the studio made maintaining a reliable live service essentially impossible.

Naturally, the situation has led some to draw comparisons to the 'Concord' debacle. The sudden reveal, insufficient playtesting, and the heavy-handed marketing push by publishers and external partners all feel eerily familiar. Just like that ill-fated title, the developers' lofty expectations were met with a cold shoulder from the public, leaving the game entirely ignored by the masses.

Meanwhile, Wildlight has promised a final farewell update before the servers go dark. The dev team is preparing a last patch featuring a new Warden, new weapons, an account level progression system, and a skill tree. The full patch notes are expected soon, with the update slated for release either late tonight or tomorrow morning.