Highguard is officially shutting down less than two months after release. Developer Wildlight Entertainment confirmed that the multiplayer shooter will go offline on March 12, 2026, ending the game just 45 days after its controversial January launch.

Highguard Is Shutting Down Just Weeks After Launch

It’s hard to imagine, but it’s only been 36 days since Highguard’s controversial launch on January 26, 2026. While the game initially was off to a decent start, reaching 97,249 peak players on Steam, the 3v3 multiplayer quickly saw its player numbers plummet amid online backlash. Despite numerous patches trying to save it, the game’s developer has revealed it’s taking the shooter offline.

In a post on X, Wildlight Entertainment announced that Highguard is permanently shutting down in March. In a somber update, the team explained: “Today we’re sharing difficult news. We have made the decision to permanently shut down Highguard on March 12. Despite the passion and hard work of our team, we have not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term.”

Interestingly, Wildlight Entertainment also revealed they are releasing one final patch for the game before shutting it down. “The team is excited to release one final game update to enjoy in the remaining life of the game. We’ll be adding a new Warden, a new weapon, account level progression, and skill trees!” So if you are a fan of Highguard, you have less than two weeks left to enjoy the game with new content.

Wildlight Entertainment Confirms Highguard Shutdown Date

As mentioned above, the final day to play Highguard is Thursday, March 12, 2026. With the new patch coming, that gives dedicated players around nine days left to enjoy the 3v3 shooter before it goes offline permanently.

To keep track of the last day you can play Highguard, here is a table showing when it will shut down in each region (the times are an estimate, as Wildlight has only given us a date):

When Highguard Server Shut Down Date (All Time Zones)

Region	Local Time	Date
North America (PT)	12:00 AM	March 12, 2026
North America (ET)	3:00 AM	March 12, 2026
Canada (ET)	3:00 AM	March 12, 2026
United Kingdom (GMT)	8:00 AM	March 12, 2026
Europe (CET)	9:00 AM	March 12, 2026
Japan (JST)	5:00 PM	March 12, 2026
Brazil (BRT)	5:00 AM	March 12, 2026
Australia (AEDT)	7:00 PM	March 12, 2026
New Zealand (NZDT)	9:00 PM	March 12, 2026

Highguard Players React to the Sudden Shutdown

As you can imagine, the reaction from Highguard players over the game’s shut down was a mix of sadness and frustration. Many users were confused as to why a final patch was being released for the title when it’s only going to remain live for a week. Other players were disappointed that the multiplayer was closing down so shortly after its launch.

“Genuinely wonder what even is the point of launching a live service new IP if you’re just going to shut it down before even trying to update it?” a user on X commented, for example. Another player reacted: “So sad I been playing all week with the boys man we crushing it on 5v5.” Other users were critical of the negative backlash surrounding the game and blamed hate mobs for ruining it.

“Honestly after this, I’m good off video games. These people made a great game. I guess you get more views if you say it’s trash like everyone. What has video gaming come to,” a frustrated Highguard fan wrote.

Highguard has faced an uphill battle since its controversial reveal at The Game Awards 2025. Many viewers were upset when 3v3 multiplayer was the award shows “final reveal.” Although not the fault of Wildlight Entertainment, the game has since been dogged by online backlash.

In February, Wildlight was hit with mass layoffs following Highguard’s poor performance on PC and console. Regardless how you feel about the game, this is an unfortunate outcome for any new studio. Highguard will go offline starting March 12, so if you enjoyed the multiplayer, now is your last time to play it!