A former developer at Wildlight has opened up about the struggles surrounding the launch of the game Highguard, blaming "false assumptions" from its debut trailer for the game's negative reception. Following its reveal at The Game Awards in December 2025 and subsequent January release, player feedback focused on the map size and gameplay format, leading to a backlash and over 14k review bombs. Despite improvements and additional modes being introduced, the damage was done, resulting in layoffs within the studio shortly after release. The lead technical artist, Josh Sobel, expressed feelings of disappointment and frustration, noting that initial enthusiasm was overshadowed by the overwhelming criticism that followed the trailer, leading to an emotional toll on the development team.

What went wrong with Highguard's launch?

Highguard's launch was marred by significant negative reception stemming from its trailer, which led to unrealistic expectations and subsequent disappointment from players. Despite developer efforts to address concerns post-launch, the rapid wave of criticism created a challenging environment for both the game and its creators.

Highguard is a free-to-play game centered around magical mounts and combat, making its debut amidst high hopes and excitement. However, the backlash post-launch has highlighted the ongoing challenges live service games face in meeting community expectations, particularly during initial launch windows. Despite these hurdles, a core team remains dedicated to ongoing support for Highguard as it tries to recover from its rocky start.