Wildlight Entertainment's inaugural game, Highguard, represents a deliberate effort to redefine the launch strategy for live service shooters. The developers, many of whom previously worked on the unexpected success of Apex Legends, are applying hard-earned lessons to ensure Highguard's sustained engagement from day one. This new approach emphasizes meticulous planning and a consistent stream of fresh content, aiming to meet and exceed modern player expectations in a competitive gaming landscape.
Highguard: Forging a New Path in Live Service Gaming
Learning from Past Experiences: The Apex Legends Impact
Many core members of Wildlight Entertainment's development team, comprising approximately 60% of its hundred-person staff, gained invaluable insights from their tenure at Respawn Entertainment, particularly regarding the unforeseen triumph of 2019's battle royale sensation, Apex Legends. Design Lead Mohammad Alavi openly admitted that Apex Legends' initial surge in popularity caught the team off guard, leading to a scramble for content. However, this challenging period proved to be a crucible, refining their understanding of player expectations and the demands of a successful live service model.
Strategizing for Highguard: A Proactive Content Pipeline
Unlike the reactive development cycle experienced with Apex Legends, Wildlight is adopting a proactive strategy for Highguard. Lead Game Designer Carlos Pineda highlighted that their previous experience taught them the critical need for a well-defined content pipeline. For Highguard, the studio has meticulously outlined a full year's worth of content, encompassing new Wardens (playable characters), an expanded arsenal of weapons, and diverse map additions. This foresight ensures a steady flow of updates, preventing the content droughts that can often plague nascent live service titles.
Accelerated Player Expectations: Adapting to a Dynamic Landscape
Wildlight co-founder and CEO Dusty Welch emphasized that player expectations for new content have dramatically increased, drawing parallels to the rapid update cycles seen in mobile gaming. While confirming that Highguard won't mirror the hyper-frequent updates of some mobile titles, Welch acknowledged that the traditional three-to-six-month seasonal model of yesteryear no longer satisfies contemporary players. Highguard will instead embrace a more agile two-month Episode structure, each delivering new weapons, mods, bases, and amulets, with select episodes introducing new maps and mounts, alongside a "surprise" planned for December.
Long-Term Vision and Adaptability: Building for the Future
Wildlight Entertainment is committed to Highguard's longevity, with Welch hinting at multiple unannounced Wardens already undergoing playtesting. Product and Publishing VP Jason Torfin underscored the studio's philosophy of embedding adaptability into their design process. This allows them to respond effectively to player feedback and evolving demands while maintaining a clear developmental roadmap. Torfin proudly noted their unwavering commitment to the game's launch date: "Four years ago, one thing we did say is, 'We're going to ship in January of 2026,' and we're shipping in January of 2026." This dedication to their timeline, combined with a forward-looking content strategy, positions Highguard as a meticulously planned entry into the live service shooter genre.
