Chinese multinational conglomerate Tencent was reportedly the “undisclosed lead financial backer” of Highguard, the debut passion project of Wildlight Entertainment.
This comes from a report by media outlet Game File, which claims to have received details surrounding the financial relationship between the two companies from “sources familiar with the matter.”
However, at the time of writing, neither Tencent or Wildlight Entertainment has verified the report.
The rumour has sparked a wave of reactions from fans and developers alike. Jean Pierre Kellams, Lead Producer at Epic Games, shared that Tencent seeds funds to several studios, and as it is not a publisher, the studios backed financially can remain independent and make their own publishing deals.
Tencent’s alleged backing has become the latest development surrounding Highguard since the game launched back in January 2026.
Recently, several former Highguard developers shared online that they have been laid off from the studio. Shortly afterwards, Wildlight Entertainment released a statement confirming that it had let go of “a number” of its staff members, with only “a core group of developers” left to support the game.
Moreover, Highguard’s official website is also currently inaccessible, advising users to direct any concerns to its support email. One of the remaining developers shared in the Highguard Discord server that the site was taken down ‘to be transferred and simplified,’ noting that it was a ‘low priority’ as the studio focuses on in-game updates and content.
Highguard Struggles as Player Count Continues to Decline
Despite its plans to shake up the live-service space, Highguard’s reputation and player counts have continued to drop since the game released on January 26th.
According to data platform Steamdb, concurrent PC players have fallen to just over 1500 players, a far cry from the 97,000 peak it reached at launch.
Since Highguard’s release, Wildlight Entertainment has rolled out several updates aiming to improve the gaming experience, from the introduction of 5v5 mode to the addition of ranked mode in Episode 2.
However, with fewer players returning to the title, and a number of staff laid off from the studio, it remains to be seen whether Highguard will be able to see through its year one roadmap.
