Technologies

Highguard to Go Offline After Rapid Player Drop

Another live service game bites the dust.

Highguard found itself in the spotlight of the online video game discourse back in December during The Game Awards show, when host Geoff Keighley made a special introduction for the game’s trailer, which came very late in the show, a time reserved for some of the night’s biggest reveals. The next day, there were questions as to what this free-to-play multiplayer shooter from a new studio was. Now, less than two months after its release, Highguard is being shut down.

Developer Wildlight Entertainment posted on X about Highguard’s shutdown on Tuesday. The developer says it was unable to gain the player base it needed to get the game going, and it will shut down servers on March 12.

«Despite the passion and hard work of our team, we have not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term,» the studio said. «Servers will remain online until March 12th. We hope you’ll jump in with us one more time to show your support and get those final great matches in while we still can.»

In his review of Highguard, CNET’s David Lumb described the game as a first-person shooter that had the lane-skirmish fighting found in multiplayer online battle arena games and base raiding mechanics found in titles like Rainbow Six: Siege. The developers described this new mash-up as a «raid shooter.» Wildlight has since acknowledged that the initial showing of the game at The Game Awards didn’t properly represent the game.

When the game was released on Jan. 26, Highguard started off strong. Nearly 100,000 people were playing the game on PC at launch, according to SteamDB. That number dropped significantly in the days that followed, and in the last week of February, it fell to slightly more than 400 a day. Things were looking bleak for Wildlight for most of February as the player count dwindled. On Feb. 11, members of the developer team posted on LinkedIn about layoffs, and the game’s website went down on Feb. 17.

«Negative press is a hard stink to clean off,» Lumb said today. «When gamers decide to hate a game, they’ll sink it, especially if it doesn’t have years of runway like No Man’s Sky.»

On the r/games subreddit, in a thread about the announcement, posters shared their problems with the game. Some pointed to dated visuals, while others said the gameplay was confusing and sorely needed refinement.

Former Wildlight developers told Bloomberg on Feb. 26 that they felt it was the «hubris» of the studio leadership that led to the game’s demise. The studio was made up of former members of the team that developed Titanfall, Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends, and they were not aware of how the gaming landscape had changed since those games were released.

Wildlight says it intends to continue updating the game. A final update will be made available sometime on Wednesday or Thursday, and it will include a new character, a new weapon, account level progression and skill trees.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube

Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im