New details have emerged regarding Highguard’s downfall. A new report notes that Tencent pulled its funding for the game, leading to the mass layoffs at Wildlight Entertainment. While not confirmed, it is believed that financing was contingent upon the game hitting certain metrics, such as a strong retention rate.
This new report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier notes that fewer than 20 people remain at Wildlight Entertainment. The organization had announced a major restructuring in the wake of Highguard’s rough launch. News of the lack of funding came in a meeting on February 11, only two weeks after the game was launched.
Highguard Devs Suggest That Leadership’s Pride Came Before the Fall
The report notes that several team members used the word “hubris” when asked what went wrong with the launch. There was a belief that the company’s leadership felt they could recapture the success of Apex Legends, a title they’d worked on previously, without recognizing the changing landscape of gaming.
As of this writing, the game has 362 concurrent players. The peak in the last 24 hours was just over 600.
The downsized development team remains committed to improving Highguard. You can read the full statement following the restructuring at this link. Also, check out what one of the former artists who worked on the project had to say about its difficult launch.
For more news concerning the fate of games with rough launches, learn more about the plans to shut down the servers of Amazon’s King of Meat video game. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
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Should pull funding from Riot and Ubisoft