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Highguard Episode 2 Adds Ranked Mode, Ekon, and the Skydrift Map

Episode 2 added 3v3 Ranked, Highguard’s first post-launch Warden Ekon, the Skydrift map, a free Wolf mount, and a wide set of gameplay and technical changes.
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Highguard Episode 2 launched on February 6, 2026, adding 3v3 Ranked, the new Warden Ekon, the Skydrift map, and a free rideable Wolf mount. Despite the original title’s plural wording, the update notes and launch coverage identify one new Warden and one new map—not multiple heroes or maps.

What did Highguard Episode 2 add?

Wildlight Entertainment’s Episode 2 patch notes and contemporary launch coverage describe an update that brought in a competitive mode and new playable content alongside changes to loot, interface, balance, and performance. Game Informer’s coverage reported that the update went live February 6, 2026.

  • Ranked Mode: competitive 3v3 Raid, unlocked after ten wins in 3v3 Raid.
  • Ekon: the first Warden added after launch, with abilities focused on tracking and a direwolf transformation.
  • Skydrift: a new map for 3v3 and 5v5 Raid.
  • Wolf mount: a free rideable beast, separate from Ekon’s transformation.
  • Systems changes: loot and waypoint updates, a Stats menu, balance adjustments, weapon mods, and technical optimizations.

How do you unlock Ranked in Highguard?

Win ten matches of 3v3 Raid to unlock Ranked. The requirement is retroactive, so qualifying wins earned before Episode 2 count. Ranked awards Ranked Points and places players in a tier. Wildlight said it chose 3v3 because “We believe 3v3 is the more tactical structure of the game and fits best for comp. We will monitor feedback as we get it.”

Rank tiers

The progression runs from Bronze to Grandmaster:

  1. Bronze (Hare)
  2. Silver (Goat)
  3. Gold (Ape)
  4. Platinum (Dire Wolf)
  5. Diamond (Gryphon)
  6. Master (Manticore)
  7. Grandmaster (Leviathan)

First Split maps and bases

The official notes named Kingdom, Summit, and Rivermark as the first Split’s map lineup, with six bases: Hellmouth, Smuggler’s Den, King’s Lair, Soul Well, Frosthold, and Wellspring. These are the first Split details, not confirmation of the live rotation at a later date. Players could earn a Banner Frame based on their rank at the end of the Episode.

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Who is Ekon?

Ekon was Episode 2’s sole new Warden and the first added after launch. His kit revolves around sensing and pursuing wounded opponents, then turning into a direwolf.

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  • Dread, passive: reveals the heartbeats of wounded enemies.
  • Wolf Spirit: sends a spirit wolf to hunt a nearby enemy and apply Dread.
  • Fearsome Howl: applies Dread across the map and increases Ekon’s movement speed.
  • Direwolf transformation: lets Ekon transform into a direwolf.

What is the new map in Episode 2?

Skydrift is Episode 2’s new map. Launch coverage said it was playable in both 3v3 and 5v5 Raid, including the permanent 5v5 mode. It is the update’s one documented map addition.

Is the Wolf mount free?

Yes. The rideable Wolf mount was free for all players, according to the patch notes and launch coverage. It is not the same thing as Ekon’s direwolf transformation. The update also offered a Shadow Wolf skin as a reward for playing ten Ranked matches.

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What else changed in the Episode 2 patch?

Loot, navigation, and stats

  • Red weapon chests at Points of Interest now contain Masterwork weapons.
  • White barrels containing Ultimate Chargers have a gold glow to make them easier to spot.
  • Waypoint icons direct players toward Points of Interest and can be pinged to communicate intent without voice chat.
  • A Stats menu was added. Many statistics are retroactive from Episode 1, while Raid Attack and Defense success tracking starts with Episode 2.

Balance and equipment

  • Speed Gates activate whenever a player is near them.
  • The Defensive Phase was shortened from 60 seconds to 30 seconds.
  • Anchor Stone fuse timers increased from 60 seconds to 80 seconds.
  • New orange weapon mods were added.

Technical changes

The notes also list movement, networking, and rendering optimizations, along with NVIDIA Reflex support on supported systems. They do not provide a performance benchmark, so the update’s practical frame-rate effect should not be inferred from the feature list alone.

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Which platforms and what cost?

At the time of the Episode 2 launch coverage, Highguard was described as free-to-play. Game Informer listed PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, while Xbox Wire’s coverage also characterized the game as free-to-play and said core Episode content was free. These historical sources do not establish whether the game or its storefront listings remain available today.

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