Tencent’s Secret Funding of Highguard Game Revealed as Website Downtime Causes Fan Concerns

Highguard: A Short-Lived Trip into the Gaming Spotlight

In the realm of AAA games, Highguard may be remembered as one of the titles that quickly faded from public attention—and not for positive reasons. Its journey is a cautionary tale in the gaming industry.

From Secrecy to Spotlight

The game remained under wraps until its surprise reveal at The Game Awards 2025. According to Dusty Welch, CEO of Wildlight Entertainment, the initial intention was to shadow-drop Highguard in late January, reminiscent of Apex Legends‘ unexpected launch in 2019. However, when Geoff Keighley approached Welch with the suggestion to conclude the awards show with a Highguard trailer, he recognized the opportunity was too valuable to decline.

The Unfortunate Unveiling

As they say, hindsight is 20/20. The decision to showcase Highguard at such a pivotal moment proved to be a miscalculation. Viewers expected a groundbreaking single-player experience to close the event, but instead, they encountered another hero shooter. The backlash was swift and severe, with both Keighley and Highguard facing immediate criticism, creating a wave of negativity that the game struggled to overcome.

Launch Amidst Controversy

Despite the criticism and the opportunity to refine the game, Wildlight chose to proceed with the planned release of Highguard at the end of January. This decision was met with predictable results—the game’s Steam page quickly became inundated with negative reviews. Welch himself admitted that the trailer failed to accurately represent what players could expect from the game.

The Current State of Highguard

Today, Highguard appears to be on the brink of closure. It reached a peak of merely 1, 507 concurrent players within a 24-hour timeframe on Steam, and reports indicate that its official website has been offline for several hours. The small number of players who appreciate the game are anxious about the possibility of an imminent shutdown. Additionally, journalist Stephen Totilo has disclosed that the game was funded by Chinese gaming powerhouse Tencent, adding another layer of intrigue to its troubled launch.

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