Highguard Episode 2 Arrives With Ranked Mode, A New Warden, and More

Just a couple of weeks after launch, Highguard is set to get another massive update. Wildlight Entertainment has announced and released Episode 2, bringing a new Warden named Ekon, a new map, and ranked mode, among a host of other small updates. This comes just days after the game added a 5-vs-5 mode on February 2.

Episode 2 was included as part of Highguard’s extensive roadmap revealed at the end of January, but it’s surprising to see it hit so soon.

The biggest addition of Episode 2 is Ekon, who has a nifty little skill that none of the other eight Wardens do, as the last member of a long line of ancient magic wielders known as “Wildwalkers.” Instead of riding a mount, Ekon simply turns into a direwolf, with higher speed than any of the mounts in the game. Here’s an overview of his abilities

• Dread (Passive) – Reveal the heartbeat of wounded enemies. Once an enemy Warden is low health, they are highlighted in pulsing beats until they are dead, or their health regenerates.
• Wolf Spirit (Tactical) – Unleash a spirit wolf to hunt the nearest enemy and apply Dread. This Wolf Spirit travels long distances, moving straight through rocks and structures to find its prey. If seen in time, it can be shot down. This ability can be cast in human form or in Wolf form.
• Fearsome Howl (Ultimate) – Apply Dread to all enemies across the map and increase your movement speed. 

This ability can be cast in human form or in Wolf form.

Skydrift is a brand-new map where players must navigate floating islands and reach a palace “above the clouds.” The map will be added to the rotation in 3v3 and 5v5.

Ranked mode is also added to the game, letting you earn Ranked Points (RP) to climb up tiers and earn rewards. Here’s an overview of how the mode works

• The format for Ranked is 3v3
  • We believe 3v3 is the more tactical structure of the game and fits best for comp. We will monitor feedback as we get it.
• Each episode will have 2 Ranked Splits. Splits will change the map and base list, and introduce some balance changes.
• All players start Ranked for the first time in Bronze 3.
• Each Rank has 3 Divisions.
• There are 7 Ranks
  • Bronze (Hare)
  • Silver (Goat)
  • Gold (Ape)
  • Platinum (Dire Wolf)
  • Diamond (Gryphon)
  • Master (Manticore)
  • Grandmaster (Leviathan)
• At the end of each Episode, you will be rewarded based on the Rank you achieved at the end of the Episode.
• De-Ranking: You can only de-rank inside a Division during a Split. For example, by losing matches you can de-rank from Gold 2 into Gold 3, but you cannot de-rank from Gold 3 into Silver 1.
• At the start of every Split, you will not de-rank at all. At the start of every Episode, you will move backwards 6 Divisions (2 full Ranks)

You can see the full patch notes for more details on everything, as well as a long list of quality-of-life updates like reducing the time of the defensive phase, orange weapon mods, character tweaks, and more.

Highguard is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.