Sony appears to be refunding some Highguard microtransactions automatically, while new rumors suggest Wildlight may be nearing the end after the game’s shutdown.
Highguard was supposed to be Wildlight Entertainment’s big first swing, a free-to-play multiplayer shooter from a team filled with developers who had worked on major series like Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Call of Duty.
Instead, the game burned out fast. Wildlight confirmed layoffs on February 11, then announced on March 3 that Highguard would shut down on March 12, saying it could not build a sustainable player base even after reaching 2 million players.
Even in those final days, the studio tried to give players one last reason to log in. Wildlight pushed a farewell update on March 4 that added account progression, a skill tree, a new Warden, and a new weapon. Now, though, it looks like there may be one more unexpected part of this story still playing out.
Sony Reportedly Issuing Highguard Refunds
Earlier today, some players on Bluesky have reported that Sony refunded their Highguard microtransaction purchases without them even asking. One user wrote, “Sony just refunded me for currency I bought when Highguard was playable. I am actually surprised! I didn’t even request it.”
Another player posted, “It seems that Sony itself is making refunds for microtransactions with Highguard. I didn’t make any request or anything, and today I received PLN 59. Nice of them.” (machine translated)
That refund chatter is showing up right as rumors about Wildlight itself are getting louder. Earlier today, MP1st reported that the studio appears to be closing its doors, pointing to Wildlight’s online presence changing or disappearing and to a recent LinkedIn statement from studio head Chad Grenier that read like someone moving on from the project.
“While this outcome isn’t the one we hoped for, I leave this experience with a tremendous number of lessons that will stay with me for the rest of my career,” Grenier said in a post. “And despite everything, I’m incredibly proud of the team and what we built together.”
To be clear, Wildlight has not publicly put out a straight “we are shutting down” statement. But when you put the Highguard shutdown, the layoffs, the studio rumors, and now these reported Sony refunds together, it is hard not to see this as the final cleanup after one of the quickest live-service collapses in recent memory.
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What do you think about Sony apparently refunding Highguard microtransactions, and do you think Wildlight is finished for good?
