February 25, 2026

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Highguard Episode 2: Everything we know

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Highguard Episode 2 is set to be released on February 6, 2026. In spite of initial bashing and mixed reviews, the devs at Wildlight Studio are consistently working on the game. After introducing the 5v5 mode, the new update serves as another step to improve player experience. A new Warden will join the game, and several quality-of-life updates will be applied.

This article will go over everything we know about the upcoming Highguard Episode 2 update.

Highguard Episode 2: Ranked Mode, new Warden, Mount, and more

Ranked Mode

Highguard ranked mode is here (Image via Wildlight Entertainment, Inc.)
Highguard ranked mode is here (Image via Wildlight Entertainment, Inc.)

Highguard Episode 2 will be the beginning of the Ranked Mode, which has been locked up until recently. The new mode will allow players to compete against one another for ratings, as seen in many competitive FPS games.

The Ranked mode in Highguard Episode 2 will be fought in the original 3v3 format. Teams will gain or lose Ranked Points based on their victory or loss in a match. There are seven ranks in the game, and each rank consists of three divisions or tiers. Here are all the ranks in Highguard:

  • Bronze (Hare)
  • Silver (Goat)
  • Gold (Ape)
  • Platinum (Dire Wolf)
  • Diamond (Gryphon)
  • Master (Manticore)
  • Grandmaster (Leviathan)

At the beginning of this first-ranked season, all players will start at Bronze and continue to make their way upwards by winning matches. Depending on your team’s performance, you either gain or lose RP. Here’s how it works:

For match winning team:

  • Overwhelming Victory: 25 RP – Base has 100% health intact.
  • Victory: 20 RP – Both teams had similar damage.
  • Close Victory: 15 RP – Base health goes down to 35% or less

For match losing team:

  • Defeat: -25 RP – No damage done to enemy team
  • Strong Defense: -20 RP – Significant damage done to the enemy team
  • Close Defeat: -15 RP – Loss after dealing at least 65% damage to the enemy base.

It’s also important to note that each episode will have two splits. During an ongoing split, you can only de-rank within your rank. Therefore, the most a player can go down is from Gold 1 to Gold 3. One cannot fall from Gold 1 to Silver 1.

Basically, even if you perform poorly during a split, you won’t go down an entire rank. At the start of every new episode, however, you will fall two whole ranks. There will also be ranked compensation for solo players, which is an interesting feature.

Also read: Highguard trophy list: All achievements and how to unlock

New warden, mount, and map in Highguard Episode 2

New Shadow Wolf Skin (Image via Wildlight Entertainment, Inc.)
New Shadow Wolf Skin (Image via Wildlight Entertainment, Inc.)

Highguard Episode 2 will introduce a brand new Warden to the game, Ekon. Ekon is a legendary shapeshifting monster hunter. Since he can shapeshift, Ekon does not need a mount. He can turn into a Direwolf and ride around the map to traverse faster.

His abilities are as follows:

  • Dread (Passive): Wounded enemies are highlighted to allow better target selection.
  • Wolf Spirit (Tactical): A spirit wolf targets enemies and applies Dread, revealing their health levels to Ekon.
  • Fearsome Howl (Ultimate): Apply Dread to all enemies on the map and increase movement speed.

All of Ekon’s abilities can be used during Direwolf form as well as the normal human form. Keeping up with Ekon’s themes, a new Wolf mount will also become available in Highguard Episode 2.

Players can play 10 Ranked mode matches to earn the black Shadow Wolf Mount Skin in the game. Furthermore, a new map is also set to be released, where you can ride the new mount.

Skydrift is an airborne map where players can explore various large caverns with the risk of potentially falling off the map if they go too far. The map seems to have greater verticality than the currently existing in-game locations. Skydrift will be playable for 3v3 and 5v5 game modes.

Also read: How to harvest Vesper in Highguard

Gameplay and weapon improvements

New Skydrift map in Highguard (Image via Wildlight Entertainment, Inc.)
New Skydrift map in Highguard (Image via Wildlight Entertainment, Inc.)

A ton of improvements have been made to the gear-up phase in Highguard Episode 2. According to the devs, players can expect to find better loot on POIs where they can find Masterwork weapons.

Furthermore, barrels containing Ultimate Chargers will now have an obvious golden glow to attract players. Players can also use Waypoint Markers on the map, which will lead them to various POIs for better loot options.

The familiar Speed Gates, which were previously only active after the Sheildbreaker forms, will now be active at all times. Finally, the Saber Rifle, Vanguard, and Corsair will all recieve improvements in the Orange mods where they will recieve Impact Rounds, Drum Magazine, and Double Shot respectively.

Various QoL changes have also been made to the game in Highguard Episode 2, aimed at improving graphics, gameplay, and overall playability.