Highguard Unleashes Shapeshifting Hero And Ranked Play In Episode 2

A major update for Highguard, titled Episode 2, is scheduled to roll out on February 6. The update introduces a new playable character, a new map, a competitive ranked mode, and a new mount available to all players. The new character is Ekon, a monster-slayer who can shapeshift into a direwolf. He is described as the last of a line of ancient magic wielders known as the Wildwalkers. His arrival in Highguard is driven by the search for his missing mentor.

Ekon’s primary distinction is his ability to become his own mount, transforming into a direwolf instead of summoning a phantom animal. In this form, his speed is greater than other mounts in the game. The perspective shifts to a full third-person view, allowing the player to see around cover. To attack, Ekon lunges forward with a bite, which immediately transforms him back to his human form to continue the engagement. An attack without a target results in a short air dash for increased mobility.

While in wolf form, Ekon can track the scent trails left by enemies and use all his other abilities. His passive ability, Dread, reveals the heartbeat of wounded enemies, highlighting them until they are killed or regenerate health. His tactical ability, Wolf Spirit, sends a phantom wolf to hunt the nearest enemy and apply the Dread effect. This spirit can travel long distances and pass through structures, though it can be shot down. His ultimate ability, Fearsome Howl, applies the Dread effect to all enemies across the entire map and increases Ekon’s movement speed.

Both the tactical and ultimate abilities can be used in either human or wolf form. Alongside the new hero, a new wolf mount is also being added. This mount will be a free cosmetic for all players.

The update introduces a new map called Skydrift, the fabled lost city. The location is depicted as a massive castle on a series of floating rocks, interconnected by large chain bridges and transport systems called Sky Jumpers. The environment includes hollowed-out caverns, an ancient stone sparring ring, and a palace situated above the clouds. Skydrift will be available in the map rotation for both the standard 3v3 and the permanent 5V5 mode.

Episode 2 also marks the launch of Ranked Mode. This competitive playlist will initially be available only for 3v3 matches, which developer Wildlight Entertainment states is the more tactical structure of the game. The studio will monitor player feedback on this format. The ranked structure consists of two Ranked Splits per episode, with each split featuring different maps, base lists, and balance adjustments.

Players will progress through seven ranks, starting from Bronze and advancing to Grandmaster. Each rank is composed of three divisions. At the end of an episode, players will receive rewards based on their final rank, including a new cosmetic item called Banner Frames. A player can be de-ranked between divisions within a rank during a split, but cannot drop to a lower rank. At the start of a new episode, all players will move down six divisions.

The introduction of new content comes as Highguard attempts to solidify its player base. The game experienced a strong initial launch, reaching just under 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, but the numbers saw a significant decline afterward. The game holds a "mostly negative" review status from over 30,000 reviews on Steam and had a user score of 2.3 on Metacritic, making it one of the lowest-rated games of 2026.

In a recent interview, Jason McCord, Highguard's creative and design director, revealed the developers didn’t expect the volume of negative feedback. He stated that the team at Wildlight Entertainment was confident they were creating a unique experience in the first-person shooter genre. The developer has shown a willingness to adapt, responding to early criticism by making the experimental 5V5 mode a permanent feature after it received positive player feedback during a limited-time run. In response to the ongoing complaints, developers from several other studios, including Larian, Remedy, and 1047 Games, have publicly defended the game: "No game is perfect on day one."

Further changes in Episode 2 address the Gear Up phase. Red Weapon Chests located in Points of Interest will now contain Masterwork weapons, which have improved statistics within their rarity tier. Ultimate Chargers, found in white barrels in these areas, will now have a distinct gold glow to make them more identifiable. Waypoint markers will now guide players toward Points of Interest when they leave their base, and the map will communicate which locations contain Masterwork Weapons and Ultimate Chargers. Additionally, Speed Gates will now always be active for nearby players, intended to help them return to combat more quickly after respawning. A new stats menu is also being added to the game, a feature requested by the community. This initial version will track many stats retroactively from the game's first episode, with plans for future expansion.

The patch also includes new orange weapon mods, numerous quality-of-life adjustments, performance optimizations, bug fixes, and balance tweaks for weapons and characters.

Here’s the part of Highguard Episode 2 patch notes from their page on Steam:

• The Defensive Phase at the start of the game has been reduced to 30 seconds from 60.
• Anchor Stones fuse timers have been increased to 80 seconds from 60.
• Your Kills and Assists have been added to the HUD above the minimap.
• Many zipline usability improvements were made, including smoother attaching and riding, and making it harder to accidentally attach.
• Players can now have a maximum of 4 ziplines. When casting the 5th, their first one will automatically be destroyed.
• Improvements were made to the feel of mantling.
• You will be prompted to drop the BigRig when it gets to low or zero ammo.
• Upon being revived, you now get a hint to tap the emote button to say "Thank You". Your character will no longer automatically say thank you.
• Pinged orange weapons will now show the perk when you hover over them.
• You can now ping ziplines, Mara's darkspawn through walls, and Kai’s ice wall.
• The endgame podium will now highlight people who had the highest stats on their team.
• The Smuggler's Den minimap has been updated to be more accurate.
• Dead players no longer show up on the minimap.
• The AFK timer in a match has been reduced from 5 minutes to 4.
• The Firing Range can now accommodate parties of up to 5 players.

Read also, a previous update improved stability by reducing game crashes by 90 percent and added highly requested features like a crouch toggle option and field of view sliders on console.