A former artist from Naughty Dog has decided to shift his focus away from live-service games entirely after the recent closure of a title called Highguard.

Del Walker, a notable video game artist known for his contributions to various projects including The Last of Us Part 2, Suicide Squad, Halo Wars 2, and Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, recently showcased an early concept of a character he developed for Highguard. This character, known as Condor, serves as a Warden and is described as “a skilled explorer” who utilizes her “extrasensory abilities” with the help of a bird companion.

As Highguard faced its demise just weeks after its launch in January, Walker took to social media to share his initial designs for Condor, noting, “This was my early pass of the Highguard character Condor before she was refined in-house.” Despite his brief involvement in the project, he emphasized his commitment to including beautiful Black women in gaming, but clarified that he will no longer participate in live-service titles.

Walker expressed his sentiments about live-service games, stating, “Ones that can disappear won’t get my time of energy anymore.” When prompted to consider contributing ideas to Deadlock, a shooter that remains technically unreleased and invite-only, he reiterated his firm decision to avoid live-service game development in the future.

Highguard launched following its unveiling at The Game Awards 2025, offering players a glimpse into a realm filled with battling Wardens and their fantastical mounts. However, shortly after its release, the game encountered criticism regarding its map size and the 3v3 gameplay format. In response, the developers attempted to address these concerns with content updates, including making the previously limited-time 5v5 mode a permanent feature.

Unfortunately, these efforts were insufficient to maintain player interest, and a combination of declining player numbers and financial issues ultimately led the studio, Wildlight, to cease operations for Highguard. After a final patch released earlier this month, the game is scheduled to go offline today, March 12th. This closure adds to the growing list of high-profile live-service cancellations, including Sony’s Concord, which was pulled just two weeks after its launch due to poor performance.