Kinda Funny Games Daily: Highguard Developer Lays Off Most Staff

Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Andy Cortez & Snowbike Mike
Theme: Deep-dive on Wildlight Entertainment’s Highguard layoffs, current state of competitive multiplayer games, major news in gaming industry, notable leaks, and community hot takes.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the sudden, significant layoffs at Wildlight Entertainment—the studio behind Highguard—and broadens into a rich discussion about the challenges of launching new multiplayer games in the current hyper-competitive market. The hosts reflect on the impact of Highguard’s debut, the game’s reception, and the wider wave of studio layoffs across the industry. They also cover breaking stories like the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake leak and Raul Kohli starring in new Diablo 2 content. Throughout, Andy and Mike keep the conversation light, candid, and interactive, involving community superchats and candid personal asides.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Highguard Layoffs & Industry Volatility

[10:40 – 28:40]

• Wildlight Entertainment confirms layoff of "most" staff two weeks post-launch, with only a core group left to support Highguard

  • Quote [10:41]:
    “Highguard developer Wildlight Entertainment has released an official statement... confirming the layoffs at the studio after several staff members began sharing news online that they had been let go.”
    —Andy (reading Game Informer article)
  • The lack of specifics adds stress, but employee posts indicate a majority affected. Some roadmap content may never be released. [11:30]
  • Developer Alex Grainer laments “there was a lot of unreleased content… this layoff quote really stings”. [11:00]

• Hosts’ Reaction & Industry Analysis

  • Heartfelt reactions to another indie team’s struggle:
    “This is an indie dev team, a group that left EA and Respawn, went off to make their own thing… It is really disheartening to see that after, what, two weeks, we’re already on mass layoff situations right now.”
    —Mike [10:58]
  • Market is extremely volatile; player bases and revenue streams can evaporate in days. SteamDB: Only ~1600 players currently (not sufficient to sustain a studio with 100 staff). [12:10]

• The Launch Trap—First Impressions & Tribalism

  • Highguard’s placement as the Game Awards finale painted a target on its back (“Target on the back because it was a great game awards”). [15:06]
  • Initial confusion about the genre (“What is a raid shooter?”) contributed to poor uptake and negative online sentiment.
  • Quote [15:41]:
    “Us living in a culture where tribalism is at its strongest... you want to be on the right side of something. You want the haters to be wrong... And this [Highguard] showed that people were ready to be angry at something.”
    —Andy

• Marketing Missteps and Alternate Realities

  • The weekday shadow-drop “what if” scenario: Would a quieter launch have led to less backlash and more success? [17:50]
  • “Being good is almost not good enough. You have to be great.” —Mike, on the current standards for success among multiplayer titles [18:38]
  • Indie teams face growing fear of failure: “I’m afraid to release my game. I'm afraid to take that step...” [19:19]

• Scalability and Economic Harshness

  • 100-person team for a F2P game is risky unless you have a surefire hit or publisher support. [20:10]
  • Per Mike’s back-of-the-napkin math: “If we only sell them one $20 bundle throughout the month, that’s $62,000. I don’t know if that’s enough to—” Andy: “Not going to cut it.” [27:32]

• Responsibility & Community Hot Takes:

  • Is Jeff Keighley partly to blame for platforming the Game Awards reveal? Consensus: “You'd be stupid to turn [that chance] down.” [21:41, 24:22]
  • Community superchats emphasize industry empathy and speculative frustration at marketing/leadership decisions, but hosts defend developers and industry leaders’ tough choices.

Notable Quotes

• “I don’t know if a game has deserved less hate than it’s gotten than [Highguard]...” —Andy [15:41]
• “At the end of the day, being good is almost not good enough. You have to be great.” —Mike [18:38]

2. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake Leak

[38:29 – 44:41]

• Amazon UK lists art book for yet-to-be-officially-announced remake

  • Hype is building despite no formal reveal—timing leaves room for a possible State of Play announcement.
  • Lack of major recent positive press at Ubisoft explained as the publisher clings to potential “W's.”
  • Hosts joke about ongoing Ubisoft leaks and wonder if the remake will drop soon to escape GTA VI’s shadow.

• Quote [39:46]:
  “Of course that makes sense. I don’t see why they would ever go like, damn, you guys got us…” —Andy, on Ubisoft refusing to confirm leaks.

3. Diablo 2: Major Content Update Starring Rahul Kohli

[47:55 – 51:30]

• First major Diablo 2 update in 25 years: “Reign of the Warlock” with actor Rahul Kohli voicing the new class.
• Andy rejoices: hopes this starts a trend where beloved legacy games receive fresh content and DLC.
• Mike shares first-hand Playtest experience: “I played it before release… heard Rahul in your earphones and didn’t even know it!” [50:47]
• “This is wild! 25 years! 8th character in the game.” —Mike [50:41]

4. Hideo Kojima X Vince Zampella: The Metal Gear Shooter That Never Was

[52:42 – 53:47]

• Fascinating ‘what-could-have-been’: Kojima and Zampella once discussed a Metal Gear shooter at Respawn after Metal Gear Solid 4. [52:45]
• Both hosts love industry “what-ifs” and the cross-pollination of creative titans.

5. StarCraft Figures & Speculation

[54:30 – 56:51]

• Joy Toy announces StarCraft collectibles, sparking hope for news on a new game.
• Mike, clearly the biggest Blizzard/StarCraft fan: “Anywhere there’s smoke, there’s fire. There’s a blaze coming.” [54:34]
• Hosts long for a StarCraft RTS return or even a spin-off shooter.

6. Quick News Beats (“We News”)

[57:08 – 63:55]

Includes:

• Steam Deck OLED sells out amid global memory/parts shortage fears. [57:13]
• Time Magazine celebrates Pokémon’s 30th anniversary with exclusive covers. [58:35]
• Ubisoft to cut 200 jobs at French HQ as part of ongoing “reorganization,” and hosts note French labor law’s union negotiations make layoffs tricky. [60:25]
• Nintendo Wii (!) getting a new physical game (“Metal Canary”) in 2026. [62:04]
• ARK Raiders, Pacific Drive, and other games' surprising sales stats. [62:35]

Memorable Moments & Running Jokes

• Mario Tennis and Character Stats:
  Andy ranks #320 in the world; the banter about game meta and character choices (Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Bullet Bill) is infectious. [6:29 – 8:02]

• Lifestyle Banter:

  • The show opens with a delightfully absurd riff on underwear-at-home etiquette (!).
  • Extended digression about sock-wearing culture and home Crocs [3:04 – 5:43]
  • Pandemic car-talk about backup cameras, the value of old Hondas, and backup plans to sell to company friends for basketball hoop perks. [34:07 – 36:39]

• Community Engagement:
  Superchats turn into spontaneous polls: “When do you take your underwear off at home?” and “What’s your sock regimen at night?” [4:41]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [10:40] – Highguard layoff announcement and initial reaction
• [15:06] – Game Awards impact & first impression fallout
• [18:38] – “Being good is not good enough” – Mike on market standards
• [27:32] – Economic realities of sustaining an indie F2P multiplayer game
• [38:29] – Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake art book leak
• [47:55] – Diablo 2 gets first major update in 25 years, Rahul Kohli stars
• [52:42] – Hideo Kojima/Vince Zampella “what if” on Metal Gear shooter
• [54:30] – StarCraft collectibles and speculation
• [57:08] – “We News” lightning round (Steam Deck OLED, Pokémon, Ubisoft layoffs, Wii game, game sales)
• [59:28] – Pokémon Super Bowl ad and 30th anniversary celebration

Notable Quotes

• On industry grief:
  “It is really disheartening to see that after, what, two weeks, we’re already on mass layoff situations right now. That is really unfortunate there. And goes to show you how volatile this industry is...” —Mike [10:58]

• On first impressions:
  “That first impression is make or break. You don’t get a second one…” —Mike [14:00]

• On being “good” vs “great”:
  “Being good is almost not good enough… you have to be great.” —Mike [18:38]

• On the Game Awards reveal:
  “I want desperately to see the multiverse moment... and it’s just shadow drops. Bam. High Guard, the people who made Apex, this is their new shooter…” —Andy [17:50]

• On burnout/competitive pace:
  “You need to excite, you need to get people interested, and you need to lock people in… Finishing off the game awards was probably an unfortunate situation. Target on the back.” —Mike [14:23]

• On classic game updates:
  “I want more of this. I want more of this [adding new content to beloved older games].” —Andy [48:24]

Style and Tone

Conversational, honest, self-deprecating, with pop culture quips and a strong sense of community. Andy and Mike bring humor and relatability even while covering tough news, never losing empathy for laid-off developers and always contextualizing industry challenges.

Summary Takeaways

This episode is a timely and heartfelt snapshot of a challenging moment in games: creative risks bring immense reward and sometimes crushing defeat, especially in today’s cutthroat multiplayer space. The hosts highlight both the industry’s volatility and its ongoing innovation—from Diablo’s surprise update to StarCraft hope and the exploits of Pokemon’s 30th birthday. The show remains fun, honest, and keeps listeners feeling both plugged-in and part of the conversation.

For anyone who missed the episode:
You’ll walk away understanding why the Highguard layoffs hit so hard, how multiplayer launches can fail even with the right talent and ideas, and the ways in which company strategy, market volatility, and internet tribalism combine to shape fortunes in gaming today. Plus, plenty of insights, laughs, and offbeat moments that make this one of 2026’s most memorable gaming news shows so far.