Wildlight Entertainment confirmed on social media on Feb. 11, 2026 (update 7:56 p.m. ET) that it has laid off multiple staff members from the team developing Highguard, the free-to-play raid shooter released on January 26, 2026. The studio did not disclose how many employees were affected, but former level designer Alex Graner posted that he and “most of the team” were let go. Wildlight said a smaller “core group” will remain to support and develop the game, without committing to changes to the content roadmap. Game coverage and community troubleshooting continue as players assess the game’s future updates.
Key Takeaways
- Wildlight publicly acknowledged layoffs on Feb. 11, 2026; its update at 7:56 p.m. ET confirmed departures but gave no headcount.
- Former level designer Alex Graner stated on LinkedIn that he and “most of the team” were laid off, implying a major reduction in staff.
- Highguard launched as a free-to-play title on January 26, 2026, across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC after a reveal at The Game Awards 2025 in December.
- Wildlight said a “core group” will continue to support the live game, but did not specify which roles or how the content roadmap will change.
- Episode 2 content (ranked mode, a new hero, a map and other additions) arrived in the weeks after launch, showing active post-launch support prior to the layoffs.
- No independent confirmation has yet verified the total number of layoffs or which teams (e.g., live ops, design, QA) were affected.
Background
Highguard was unveiled as the final “world premiere” at The Game Awards 2025 in December, a reveal that attracted mixed reactions due to its placement in the show and an unconventional FPS presentation. Wildlight opted for a free-to-play model and published the game on January 26, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, positioning it in a competitive live-service shooter market. Early critical response was mixed: some reviewers praised innovation and potential while player sentiment varied, reflecting a challenging reception curve for new live-service titles.
The industry has seen waves of studio restructuring in recent years as publishers and independent developers adjust to volatile player engagement and monetization expectations. Live-service shooters face particular pressure to sustain concurrent player counts, regular content drops and revenue targets. Smaller studios that launch ambitious multiplayer titles can be especially exposed if post-launch metrics fall short of internal forecasts.
Main Event
On Feb. 11, 2026, staff posts began circulating online indicating layoffs at Wildlight; those public disclosures prompted the studio to issue a brief statement later that day. Wildlight acknowledged it had “parted ways with a number of our team members” while maintaining a core developer group to continue work on Highguard. The company emphasized pride in the product and gratitude toward the player community but did not spell out the number of employees affected or which disciplines were reduced.
Alex Graner, credited as a level designer on Highguard, wrote on LinkedIn that he and “most of the team” were laid off and noted the personal sting of unreleased content he helped design. His post suggested that several in-development features may now be at risk, though Graner did not provide an exhaustive list of cancelled items. Wildlight has not publicly confirmed Graner’s description of the scale beyond its general statement.
Prior to the layoffs, Wildlight delivered Episode 2 content that introduced a ranked mode, a new hero, an additional map and further features, signaling active post-launch development. The timing—only a few weeks after Episode 2 and about two weeks after the game’s late-January release—makes the layoffs an unusually rapid contraction following a major launch. External partners and platform storefronts have not released formal statements about the studio changes.
Analysis & Implications
Short term, the decision to retain a smaller core team suggests Wildlight plans to keep Highguard operational as a live service, at least in a maintenance or limited-content capacity. A reduced staff can sustain servers and patch critical bugs, but deeper design work—new heroes, maps, systems—typically requires larger, multidisciplinary teams that may now be diminished. This creates immediate uncertainty about the pace and scope of future content drops.
Commercially, layoffs so soon after launch can signal to players and platform partners that the title did not meet internal engagement or monetization benchmarks. That perception can depress player confidence and make user acquisition or re-engagement campaigns more difficult. For a free-to-play shooter competing for attention, momentum is crucial; any slowdown in visible updates risks accelerating player churn.
From a workforce perspective, the move reinforces wider industry patterns where studios scale aggressively for live-service launches and then rapidly downsize if targets aren’t met. For developers and recruiters, this raises questions about contract structures, retention incentives and how studios budget for sustained content development versus short-term feature drops. Independently, it may affect talent flows: designers and engineers from Wildlight could enter other studios or form new teams, reshaping the talent landscape regionally.
Comparison & Data
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Highguard announced (The Game Awards 2025) | Dec 2025 |
| Highguard release (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) | Jan 26, 2026 |
| Episode 2 content drop | Early Feb 2026 |
| Wildlight confirms layoffs (update) | Feb 11, 2026 |
The timeline above shows how quickly events progressed: reveal in December, launch in late January, a mid-launch content update, and confirmation of staff reductions by Feb. 11. That compressed schedule—between release and layoffs—differs from more gradual restructuring cycles seen at larger publishers, and highlights how fragile post-launch trajectories can be for independent live-service teams.
Reactions & Quotes
Wildlight said it made a very difficult decision to part ways with a number of team members while keeping a core group to continue supporting the game.
Wildlight Entertainment (studio statement)
Context: The studio framed the move as a painful but necessary step, emphasizing continued support for Highguard while avoiding specifics on scope.
“Unfortunately, along with most of the team at Wildlight, I was laid off today,”
Alex Graner (former level designer)
Context: Graner’s post highlighted the personal impact and the potential loss of unreleased content he helped design; his account is a primary source for reports of wide team reductions.
Editor commentary noted Highguard showed promise but faced mixed reception at launch and in its reveal.
Industry analyst / press commentary
Context: Early reviews praised certain design elements, but mixed audience reactions and post-launch engagement data are typical concerns cited by analysts assessing live-service sustainability.
Unconfirmed
- The exact number of employees laid off has not been disclosed by Wildlight and remains unverified by independent sources.
- Which specific departments (e.g., design, engineering, live ops) were most affected has not been publicly detailed.
- The future status of unreleased content referenced by former staff is unknown; Wildlight has not published a roadmap update confirming cancellations.
Bottom Line
Wildlight’s public confirmation on Feb. 11, 2026, that it reduced staff shortly after Highguard’s Jan. 26 release highlights the volatility of live-service game launches. While a core team remains to support the title, the absence of headcount details creates uncertainty about the studio’s ability to deliver the roadmap as originally planned. Players and partners should expect irregular communication until Wildlight provides more specificity on team structure and content plans.
For industry observers, the episode underscores persistent risks for smaller studios pursuing ambitious live-service models: launch momentum, retention metrics and monetization must align quickly or studios face hard restructuring choices. We will update this report if Wildlight or other verified sources disclose further details about the layoffs, affected roles, or changes to Highguard’s development schedule.