Highguard is officially shutting down less than two months after release. Developer Wildlight Entertainment confirmed that the multiplayer shooter will go offline on March 12, 2026, ending the game just 45 days after its January launch.
Highguard Is Shutting Down Just Weeks After Launch
It’s hard to imagine, but it’s only been 36 days Highguard divisive launch on January 26, 2026. While the game initially was off to a decent start, reaching 97,249 peak players on Steam, the 3v3 multiplayer quickly saw its player numbers plummet amid online backlash. Despite numerous patches and additional content, the game’s developer has revealed it’s shutting down.
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In a post on X, Wildlight Entertainment announced that Highguard is permanently shutting down soon. In a somber update, the team explained: “Today we’re sharing difficult news. We have made the decision to permanently shut down Highguard on March 12. Despite the passion and hard work of our team, we have not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term.”
Interestingly, Wildlight Entertainment also revealed they are releasing one final patch for the game before closing up shop. “The team is excited to release one final game update to enjoy in the remaining life of the game. We’ll be adding a new Warden, a new weapon, account level progression, and skill trees!” So if you are a fan of Highguard, you have less than two weeks left to enjoy the game with new content.
As mentioned above, the final day to play Highguard is Thursday, March 12, 2026. With the new patch coming, that gives dedicated players around nine days left to enjoy the 3v3 shooter before it goes offline forever.
To keep track of the last day of Highguard, here is a table showing when it will shut down in each region (the times are an estimate, as Wildlight has only given us a date):
Highguard Players React to the Sudden Shutdown
As you can imagine, the reaction from Highguard players over the game being shut down was a mix of sadness and frustration. Many players were confused as to why a final patch was being released for the game when it’s only going to remain live for a week. Other players were disappointed that the title was closing down so shortly after its launch.
“Genuinely wonder what even is the point of launching a live service new IP if you’re just going to shut it down before even trying to update it?” a user on X commented, for example. Another player reacted: “So sad I been playing all week with the boys man we crushing it on 5v5.” Other users were critical of the negative backlash surrounding the game and blamed hate mobs for ruining it.
“Honestly after this, I’m good off video games. These people made a great game. I guess you get more views if you say it’s trash like everyone. What has video gaming come to,” a frustrated Highguard fan wrote. Regardless, Highguard will go offline starting March 12, so if you enjoyed the game, now is your last time to play it!