Highguard Ranked Mode Explained: New Details and Patch Release Date

With only one day to go before Episode 2 of Highguard arrives, the folks at Wildlight Entertainment have revealed and detailed pretty much everything you can expect from the game’s first big post-launch content drop.

And get ready, because this is going to be a relatively long read, since the update is massive and includes the very first new Warden, a new map, a free mount type, a ton of quality-of-life tweaks, and even a Ranked Mode to finally get serious with your friends.

The patch notes for Episode 2, which goes live on February 6th (tomorrow!), were shared across Highguard’s social media channels – and it is quite possibly the longest text I have ever seen on X (formerly Twitter) in my entire life.

Ekon the Shapeshifter and the Arrival of Skydrift

For starters, let’s talk about the new Warden, Ekon. He is basically a shapeshifter who can transform into a wolf, and you can check out his striking design in the image above.

His ability kit seems incredibly powerful for strategic play, as he can detect the heartbeats of nearby enemies with low HP and unleash a spirit wolf to inflict Dread on rivals. His Ultimate also applies Dread, but to literally every single enemy player on the map while boosting his own movement speed in both human and wolf forms.

Ekon is even capable of literally transforming into a direwolf that "tracks, hunts, and runs down mounted enemies" through a third-person point of view, which is a unique and interesting mechanical shift for the game. Here is a more direct summary of his abilities:

• Dread (Passive): Reveal the heartbeat of enemies with low health.
• Wolf Spirit (Tactical): Unleash a spirit wolf to hunt the nearest enemy and apply Dread.
• Fearsome Howl (Ultimate): Apply Dread to all enemies across the map and increase your movement speed.
• Wolf Form: Increases Ekon’s speed, allows for deadly bite attacks, and enables him to track an enemy’s scent, all from a third-person perspective.

Ekon isn't the only wolf arriving with Episode 2, however! Players can look forward to wolves as a new mount type, free to everyone. To unlock yours, you simply need to play 10 Ranked matches.

Speaking of new free additions, the update also introduces a fresh map: Skydrift, a place filled with caverns, great winged beasts, sky jumpers, and an incredible view of the clouds.

The lore describes it as a fabled lost city far west of Headwall that has recently awakened, and it will be added to the rotation for both 3v3 and 5v5 modes. You can check its visual right below:

Next on the list is Ranked Mode, the place where "boys become men" – and where we all expect a few rage-quits from time to time. Jokes aside, the competitive system looks quite robust.

Players will earn Ranked Points (RP) and modifiers to climb the ranks, ranging from Bronze (Hare) to Grandmaster (Leviathan). The format is strictly 3v3, as developers believe it offers the most tactical structure, and everyone starts at Bronze 3.

And it’s basically going to work this way: each Episode will feature two Ranked Splits to rotate maps and balance the meta, and rewards are distributed at the end of each Episode based on the rank you managed to achieve. Sounds pretty straightforward to me.

Finally, the patch includes a massive list of improvements, bug fixes, and new features based on community feedback. Some highlights include loot rarity adjustments, new waypoint icons for points of interest, fresh Orange weapon mods, HUD tweaks, and even improvements to zipline usability.

I mean, everything sounds incredibly solid, especially because it goes down to the smallest details. So you can check out the full list in their official post – just make sure to grab a cup of coffee before you start reading.