Report: Under 20 Employees Remain at Wildlight Entertainment

Recent reports indicate that fewer than 20 employees currently remain at Wildlight Entertainment, the developer behind the game Highguard. This follows a series of layoffs that took place last month. Bloomberg provided insights from 10 former employees, shedding light on the studio’s struggles during and after the game’s launch.

Overview of Wildlight Entertainment

Wildlight Entertainment was founded in 2023 by a team of former Respawn Entertainment developers, including CEO Dusty Welch. The studio emphasized its independence, claiming to operate without support from large organizations. Despite being positioned as a “fully funded” studio with Tencent’s TiMi Studio Group as its primary financial backer, the studio has encountered significant financial challenges.

Significant Events

• Layoffs: On February 11, Wildlight held an all-hands meeting where employees were informed of impending layoffs due to financial strain.
• Launch of Highguard: The game was released on January 26, 2023, and experienced a peak of nearly 100,000 concurrent players on Steam.
• Player Retention Issues: Within a week post-launch, the game lost approximately 90% of its player base.

Factors Contributing to the Decline

According to former developers, the leadership’s strategy mirrored successful elements from Apex Legends, disregarding the current gaming landscape’s evolution. They noted that while initial reactions from testers were generally positive, there were significant oversights in the development process.

Attempts to transition Highguard into early access were reportedly dismissed by the leadership, who preferred to emulate the unexpected success of Apex Legends, which launched without prior announcement in 2019. This decision may have contributed to the game’s subsequent decline in player engagement.

Conclusion

While Wildlight Entertainment initially showcased promise, its rapid descent following the launch of Highguard highlights the challenges faced by game developers in adapting to changing player expectations. As the studio continues to reevaluate its future, the fallout from its ambitious project serves as a cautionary tale within the industry.