Ex-Highguard Developer Comments on the Negativity Surrounding the Game’s Launch

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A former developer from the game Highguard has spoken out about the criticism it’s received, cautioning that unfairly attacking games before giving them a chance could stifle creativity and innovation. Wildlight Entertainment’s first game faced immediate and widespread negativity upon its announcement, and now Highguard‘s future is unclear. The developer is defending the game against the harsh reactions.

The reveal trailer for Highguard received a strongly negative reaction after debuting at the 2025 Game Awards, quickly racking up over 10,000 dislikes on YouTube. Some viewers falsely claimed the developers had paid for a prominent spot at the event, while many others drew unfavorable comparisons to the cancelled game Concord. Unfortunately, the game itself launched to similarly negative reviews, with many players forming their opinions before even getting a chance to play much of it. Since then, the developers have been working to overcome this initial negative perception.

Ex-Wildlight Dev Says Highguard’s Developers “Deserved Better Than This” Amid Backlash

Josh Sobel, a technical artist from the game Highguard, recently shared his thoughts on the game’s launch and the reaction it received. He criticized players for immediately attacking the developers and prematurely declaring the game a failure before anyone had a chance to properly play it. Sobel, who was affected by recent layoffs at the Highguard studio, focused his post on the negativity directed at both the game and the team who created it. He mentioned being personally targeted – some mocked him for protecting his privacy on Twitter, and others even insulted him for disclosing his autism. He also noted that many players left negative reviews and declared the game a failure without even completing the initial tutorial.

Sobel wasn’t arguing that all the criticism of Highguard was unfair, and he admitted it’s impossible to know if the game would have succeeded without the negative attention. However, he cautioned that all products are vulnerable to public opinion, and quickly dismissing an indie game before it has a chance can stifle future creativity. This echoes similar concerns voiced by other developers outside of Wildlight, who also defended Highguard when many in the industry criticized the glee surrounding its perceived failure.

The lead developer of Wildlight expressed concern that the quick negative reaction to the game Highguard might discourage other independent developers from taking risks. He noted the irony that Highguard was initially criticized for seeming too similar to corporate games, despite actually offering unique features. Importantly, Highguard was created independently, without corporate control or the use of AI. Given that major companies like EA are increasingly interested in using AI in game development, this situation feels like a warning that independent creativity could be stifled.

Sobel concluded by stating that the personal attacks on the game’s developers and celebrating its potential failure were unjust. He expressed good wishes to the remaining team at Wildlight and commended journalists and creators who avoided fueling negativity for clicks. While Highguard has received significant updates, offering a path to regain player interest – as seen with other live-service games – its ultimate success is uncertain. Whether Highguard can fully recover remains to be seen.

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2026-02-13 23:04