Highguard Website Goes Dark Following Tencent Funding Reveal

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By Gaming News
18 February 2026 no comments

It has been a brutal few weeks for Highguard. The free-to-play shooter grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons at launch, and things just went from bad to worse.

Now, the official digital home of the game has vanished, and the silence is deafening. If you try to visit the official site today, you aren’t met with patch notes or a roadmap. You get a blank screen and a support email. For a game that just suffered mass layoffs, this looks less like maintenance and more like a farewell.


Key Takeaways: The Quick Answer

  • Website Offline: The official Highguard domain is currently displaying a “Site Unavailable” message with no ETA for a fix.
  • Tencent Revealed: New reports confirm the Chinese tech giant Tencent was the secret financial backer behind Wildlight Entertainment.
  • Rapid Decline: This news follows a player count crash (90k to 1k) and significant studio layoffs just weeks after launch.

The “Unavailable” Error Message

This isn’t just a 404 error. If you head over to the Highguard website right now, the flashy hero art and “Play Now” buttons are gone.

Instead, users are seeing a stark message: “This site is currently unavailable. Please contact support@codethirtytwo.com for assistance.”

While the Discord and X (formerly Twitter) links are still active, the removal of the main landing page is a massive red flag for a live-service game.

Usually, when a site goes down for maintenance, there’s a branded “We’ll be back soon” splash page. This feels different. Given the recent turmoil at Wildlight Entertainment, fans are already speculating that the servers might be next.


The Secret Tencent Connection

To make matters more complicated, we finally know who was footing the bill. According to a report from Game File, Tencent has been the primary investor backing Wildlight Entertainment.

For a long time, Wildlight was described as a “fully funded” new studio, but the source of that cash was a mystery. It turns out one of the biggest wallets in gaming was behind the project.

This changes the perspective on the recent collapse. If Tencent decided to pull the plug on funding after the lackluster reception and dropping player numbers, it explains the sudden layoffs. When a giant like Tencent cuts its losses, they usually cut them deep and fast.


From 90,000 to 1,000: A Timeline of Decline

The numbers paint a grim picture. Highguard actually started strong with nearly 90,000 concurrent players shortly after release.

But retention is the name of the game in the free-to-play market, and Highguard didn’t have it. The count has plummeted to a peak of barely 1,000 daily players. This rapid exodus triggered the first domino: layoffs. As we covered recently, Wildlight Entertainment cut the majority of its staff just weeks after the game hit storefronts.

Also learn more about the breakdown of Highguard’s massive studio cut!


The Road Ahead: Can The it even Recover?

Developer Josh Sobel noted on social media that things went “downhill” the moment the game was revealed at The Game Awards. The trailer didn’t land. The aesthetic was mocked. The mechanics felt confused.

Instead of hype, the game launched with a target on its back. Now, with a “core team” supposedly left to keep the lights on, the website disappearing feels like the final nail in the coffin. We are still waiting for an official statement from Wildlight.

But if you were planning to grind the battle pass, you might want to hold off on spending any more time—or money—until we know for sure the future of Highguard.

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A video game enthusiast ever since I first got my hands on a Game Boy. Over the years, I've played many different games across various genres, discovering hidden gems and niche titles along the way. I'm also passionate about technology, always up-to-date with the latest news and insight in the PC and Console market. Ready to share and bring you the latest news !

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