Sony Refunds PS5 Players for Highguard Purchases

Sony has begun automatically refunding PlayStation 5 players for microtransactions in the now-defunct free-to-play shooter Highguard, just days after the game's servers went offline. The refunds, which cover purchases such as cosmetic items and battle pass content, are being issued without player requests, according to multiple reports from affected users.

Highguard, developed by Wildlight Entertainment, launched on January 26, 2026, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S platforms following its reveal at The Game Awards in December 2025. The title, a competitive PvP raid shooter, drew initial interest with more than 2 million unique users and a peak of nearly 100,000 concurrent players on Steam. However, engagement plummeted shortly after release, leaving fewer than 100 players active on Steam by the time of shutdown. Wildlight announced the closure on March 4, with servers taken offline on March 12, marking one of the shortest lifespans for a live-service game.

The rapid decline prompted significant challenges for the studio. Layoffs occurred in February, despite promises of ongoing support. In response to player feedback, Wildlight released updates, including a...