The developers of the recently launched multiplayer shooter Highguard have removed the phrase “from the creators of Apex and Titanfall” from the game’s official description. The game experienced a disastrous launch which resulted in player counts dropping rapidly within one day and people started to discuss both the game’s quality and its connection to past developer work.
Okay so, let’s just lay this out. The Wildlight Entertainment PvP raid shooter Highguard exists because former Respawn developers established their studio to develop this game. The development team who created Titanfall and Apex Legends developed their marketing approach by showing their work track record. “From the creators of…” It was right there on the Steam page, the trailer, everywhere. After watching the game trailer people felt that they might experience some of the special qualities which made the original game successful. The special thing which people desired to see disappeared without leaving behind any traces. The gamers who play online detected something unusual about the timing. The game launched on January 26th 2026 which resulted in 97000 players at its highest point and then the number decreased to less than 23000 within the following day. The number of active players dropped from 97000 to 19000 within 24 hours. The situation appears to lead toward an inevitable conclusion which becomes visible to observers at extreme distances. The bio starts to show signs of being corrected by someone. The connection between these two events seems too strong to ignore.
Online players have responded to the game with three competing reactions because they express their true opinions while feeling pleased about others losing their expectations. One gamer used direct language to present his opinion about the situation: “No one wants to be associated with this.” The other guy made a joke by calling it “Concord 2” which connected to another unsuccessful live-service title. The organization failed to protect him because of its specific pedigree during the storm which followed. The specific skills which make someone successful actually became his biggest obstacle when he tried to achieve his goals. “We could have got titanfall 3 and we got this 😔,” one player lamented, summing up a feeling a lot of Titanfall faithful have had for years. The situation involves the new project from a beloved team because it shows the same familiar pattern which always leads to failure. The developers’ previous achievements vanish from view yet their earlier work becomes the main point of comparison which demonstrates failure in the new project.
The team created various theories which people use to explain their decision to separate from the project. Some people believe that it was a directive from on high. “Apex devs probably told them to remove it,” one user speculated, suggesting that EA or Respawn didn’t want the stink of a failing project to rub off on their still-popular cash cow. People believe the company wants to stop all damage which exists. “The game is a stain on their record which they will use to judge their character,” another person said. Can you blame them? If your new thing is bombing, you might wanna quietly distance yourself from the hype you yourself created. The situation creates a negative impression about people who face danger but they act according to their natural instincts. The wild comment claims they will hold AI responsible for the blame which people see as an ordinary occurrence in today’s world.
The other funny thing from the show needs your attention. Some players are pointing out the irony that they didn’t include “from the creators of Concord” in their bio, even though, as one person noted, a significant chunk of the team actually worked on that game too. The team chose to promote their successful achievements instead of showing their… less successful projects. People should understand the situation because it all appears so evident. The “from the creators of” strategy has now entered its exposing phase for the year 2026 according to one user. Gamers aren’t just buying a name anymore; they’re buying the actual game. The only reason people should play this game is because it brings them entertainment value yet another person explained that “Nobody will play this game when better options exist.” Highguard has failed to answer the question which needs an answer worth one million dollars.
The present situation forces us to evaluate our current position. The current situation shows how modern game industry operates while the Extreme Gaming experience shows how developers create their products. Established name recognition fails to create value because developers lack a functional gameplay loop. The game had gamers who played it because of its famous developers yet they left after discovering that the game failed to meet their expectations. The short text change on the Steam page serves as proof that the developer refuses to allow their relationship with the brand continue because it has become a risk to their business. The statement establishes that past success allows developers to maintain some value until the community determines their worth through player activity and online feedback. The Wildlight team needs to demonstrate their capacity to create successful new products that connect with audiences instead of depending on their previous achievements.
