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GamesIndustry.biz
GamesIndustry.biz
· 6 months, 2 weeks ago • Sophie McEvoy

Report: Fewer than 20 staff remain at Highguard dev Wildlight Entertainment

Briefing

Wildlight Entertainment, co-founded by former Respawn devs, has seen its workforce shrink dramatically to under 20 employees after layoffs last month. The studio's financial backing from Tencent's TiMi Studio Group was reportedly tied to performance metrics that were not met, leading to severe budget constraints.

Highguard's launch on January 26 initially attracted nearly 100,000 concurrent players, but a rapid decline followed, highlighting the risks of not adapting to the evolving gaming landscape. This situation serves as a cautionary tale for developers about the importance of flexible strategies and the potential pitfalls of trying to replicate past successes.

“The studio was out of money and most of their 100-person team would be laid off.”

— Anonymous source · Reported during an all-hands meeting.
At a glance
what
Wildlight Entertainment has fewer than 20 staff remaining.
who
Wildlight Entertainment, Tencent's TiMi Studio Group.
when
Highguard launched on January 26.
impact
Developers face challenges in funding and adapting to market changes.
Signal Concerning

The article highlights significant layoffs and a failed game launch.

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