Multiplayer shooter video game Highguard will "permanently shut down" just weeks after its release, its developer has announced.

Since its launch in January, the free-to-play game has struggled to retain players despite being made by a team of games industry veterans who worked on successful titles such as Call of Duty, Apex Legends and Titanfall.

Multiple staff members were also laid off by the developers just two weeks after it went live.

In a statement, developers Wildlight Entertainment announced the servers will halt on 12 March as they had "not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term".

The hero shooter game was first announced in December at The Game Awards ceremony during the end-of-show preview slot, traditionally saved for games set to make a big splash.