The developer behind Highguard has explained why the game’s website is offline, as a report reveals it had financial backing from Tencent.
After a tumultuous run-up to release, and despite some strong launch numbers, Highguard’s future prospects have soured significantly in the weeks since it debuted.
The free-to-play shooter’s dwindling post-launch numbers led developer Wildlight Entertainment to lay off the majority of its staff last week, leaving only a ‘core group of developers’ to continue to support the title. While the game isn’t shutting down, with a full year of DLC planned, its future isn’t looking bright.
If there was already a negative stink around Highguard, it only became more pungent when the game’s official website mysteriously went offline earlier this week – sparking further fears of a potential shutdown.
At the time of writing, the website has been down for over 17 hours. A placeholder error message reads: ‘This site is currently unavailable’, with an email address linked below it for players who require ‘assistance’.
While it naturally rang alarm bells, a developer in Highguard’s Discord has since claimed the website is down because it ‘needs to be transferred and simplified’, but they’re ‘not sure on the timeframe’ because it’s a ‘low priority’ at the studio.
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‘Low priority at the moment (reputational damage already done),’ a message from the developer reads (via Rebs Gaming). ‘Now we just need to focus on delivering updates and content to improve.’
It’s unclear why the website needs to be transferred or simplified, or why it would be switched off entirely if they’re not actively working on it, so it’s not exactly a reassuring response. GameCentral has reached out to Wildlight for further clarification.
Shortly after the website went offline, a report on Stephen Totilo’s Game File raised questions around Highguard’s financial support. According to the newsletter, Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent, specifically its TiMi Studio Group, was an undisclosed financial backer for Wildlight.
Tencent has investments in a range of gaming companies, including Ubisoft, Riot Games, Bloober Team, and many others, so it’s involvement perhaps isn’t surprising.
However, it’s unclear why it wasn’t made public beforehand, especially as Wildlight made a point to advertise itself as being entirely free of big publisher involvement and interference.
This financial backing might be the reason why Highguard is still active despite its low player count, but it remains to be seen if the studio can turn its fortunes around in the months to come.
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