Highguard’s Former Tech Artist Discusses Reveal and Launch, Calls Out Internet Negativity

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Wildlight Entertainment, the developer of Highguard, is facing difficulties after recent layoffs. Josh Sobel, a former technical artist and rigger on the game, shared a detailed account of his experience working on the PvP raid shooter on Twitter. He explained that while the team initially received good internal feedback, things shifted dramatically after the game’s trailer debuted at The Game Awards 2025.

We received encouraging feedback from early playtesters, even those with no prior connection to the game. When feedback was critical, it was helpful and gave us clear ideas for improvement. Everyone who played, including the development team, really enjoyed it. As a small, independent studio relying on royalties, we were hoping this game would be a major success and help us achieve financial stability – something many of us felt was a challenge as millennials.

After the trailer was released, opinions quickly turned negative. While people often criticize those who give positive early reviews after attending promotional events, they often overlook that negative content gets far more attention. This creates a similar pressure for creators to exaggerate negativity, even if they don’t realize it, because it boosts views and engagement.

Sobel highlighted the significant negativity directed at both Wildlight Entertainment and its developers, including himself. He acknowledged that some of the online discussion included helpful criticism, but much of it consisted of personal attacks.

He explained that people ridiculed him for being enthusiastic about the game, suggesting he should apply for a job at McDonald’s. They also made fun of him for mentioning his autism in his online profile, incorrectly assuming it meant the game would be overly focused on social issues. He said this negativity was deeply upsetting and immediately damaged the reputation of Highguard and Wildlight Entertainment. This damage stemmed from false rumors about a large advertising investment, which were then mistakenly reported as true by some journalists.

The game flopped almost immediately, and it quickly became a source of frustration for players online. Our social media videos were heavily downvoted, and the comment sections were spammed with repetitive memes referencing other canceled games like ‘Concord 2’ and ‘Titanfall 3.’ At launch, we were bombarded with over 14,000 negative reviews, many from players who hadn’t even completed the tutorial or spent more than a few minutes with the game.

As a fan, it’s really disheartening to hear that the negativity online and within ‘gamer culture’ definitely contributed to the issues this project faced. It’s frustrating because ultimately, we, the players, decide if something succeeds or fails. It also makes me worry that this will discourage other talented developers from taking the risk of creating their own independent games, and instead push them towards just working for the big companies. It’s a real shame, and I hope things can change so we see more unique and creative games in the future.

The recent layoffs at Wildlight mean many of its developers will likely have to return to working for larger, more traditional game companies – the very companies gamers often criticized Wildlight for resembling. This situation will likely discourage others from trying to create independent multiplayer games, as they’ll fear a similar lack of support. If this trend continues, the author fears, only large corporations will be left making multiplayer games, effectively stifling innovation. He believes the industry is currently in a critical state.

Despite a difficult start for Highguard, our small, independent team poured our hearts into making a fun game – and we deserved a little more respect. We especially didn’t deserve to see people celebrating our failure.

Despite recent layoffs affecting most of the team working on Highguard, Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed that development will continue with a smaller group. The game recently launched its Episode 2 update, adding a lot of new content.

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2026-02-13 15:41