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Highguard Shuts Down Just Weeks After Launch: A Cautionary Tale
3 months agoUS
Highguard, a free-to-play squad shooter developed by Wildlight Entertainment, is shutting down on March 12th, less than two months after its January 26th launch. Despite reaching 2 million players, the game failed to build a sustainable player base, marking another high-profile failure in the competitive live-service market. This closure follows layoffs at Wildlight and highlights the difficulties publishers face in replicating the success of games like Fortnite.
Key Insights
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Rapid Shutdown:: Highguard's closure comes less than two months after its launch, illustrating the volatile nature of the live-service game market.
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Layoffs and Financial Troubles:: Wildlight Entertainment laid off most of its staff in February, with reports indicating the studio was running out of money despite being backed by Tencent's TiMi Studio Group.
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Chasing the Live-Service Dream:: Publishers continue to pursue the live-service model despite numerous failures, highlighting the allure of steady revenue streams from games like Fortnite. This matters because it shows how the industry is still trying to capture the success of games like Fortnite, even though the market is very competitive and hard to break into.
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Failed Expectations:: Despite positive feedback from testers, Highguard failed to retain players, losing approximately 90% of its player base within a week of release.
In-Depth Analysis
Highguard's short lifespan underscores the challenges of the live-service model. Wildlight Entertainment, founded by former developers from Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and Titanfall, aimed to replicate the shadow drop success of Apex Legends but reportedly failed to adapt to the changing gaming landscape. The studio's leadership rejected early access, a decision that may have contributed to the game's downfall. This closure is part of a broader trend of live-service game failures, including Sony's Concord and potential issues with Riot's 2XKO, demonstrating the difficulty in sustaining player engagement and generating revenue in this market.
How to Prepare: For developers, this serves as a reminder to prioritize player retention, adapt to market changes, and consider early access to gather feedback. For gamers, it highlights the risk of investing time and money in live-service games that may not last.
Who This Affects Most: This impacts game developers, particularly smaller studios, who face immense pressure to create and maintain successful live-service games. Gamers who invest time and money into these games are also affected.
FAQs
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Q: Why did Highguard shut down so quickly?
Highguard failed to build a sustainable player base despite an initial surge in players.
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Q: What happened to Wildlight Entertainment?
Wildlight Entertainment laid off most of its staff due to financial difficulties.
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Q: Is the live-service game model dying?
While many live-service games fail, publishers continue to pursue the model, indicating it remains a viable, though challenging, market.
Key Takeaways
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Live-service games are risky investments for both developers and players.
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Player retention is crucial for the success of live-service games.
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The market is highly competitive, making it difficult for new games to break through.
Discussion
Do you think the live-service model is sustainable? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Share this article with others who need to stay ahead of this trend!
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