The Highguard case is quite illustrative of the modern industry—especially for the segment where startups by so-called veteran developers operate. Today, we will examine the main mistakes of Wildlight Entertainment studio that turned its debut project into one of the strangest announcements and releases in recent years.
Who is Wildlight Entertainment: A Classic "Veteran" Startup
Wildlight Entertainment is one of dozens of American studios founded by former employees of major publishers that emerged during the pandemic (or shortly after its end). The creators of Highguard assembled the team back in 2021, and in February 2023, they publicly announced the company.
Traditionally, the core team consists of industry veterans—here, from Respawn Entertainment and Infinity Ward—with extensive track records:
- Co-founder and CEO Dusty Welch—former Chief Operating Officer of Respawn and General Manager of Apex Legends (he also managed the Call of Duty brand from its first installment to the original Modern Warfare);
- Co-founder, Studio Head and Game Director Chad Grenier—former Game Designer and Level Designer at Infinity Ward, who worked on Call of Duty up to Modern Warfare 2, and one of the designers of Titanfall 1–2 (from 2019 to late 2021, he was also the Game Director of Apex Legends);
- Design Director Jason McCord—formerly a Level Designer for early Call of Duty titles, Lead Game Designer for Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends.
Founders of Wildlight, Dusty Welch (left) and Chad Grenier (right)
