As the sun sets over the land of Highguard, players brace themselves for a transformation. Tomorrow, the game awakens from its troubled launch to introduce a wave of excitement, breathing new life into the battlefield.
New playable Warden, Ekon, joins the ranks, sporting a unique Wolf mount available for all players. This isn’t merely a cosmetic upgrade; it’s backed by significant enhancements targeting the often frustrating gearing phase of matches. Stay with me as we dive deeper into what awaits.
Get ready for the arrival of Highguard’s Episode 2, hitting the stage tomorrow, February 6.
All Eyes on Episode 2 Patch Notes
Meet Ekon: A New Era of Strategy
- Dread (Passive)
- Spotlight the heartbeat of fallen foes. When adversaries reach critical health, they pulse, making them prime targets until they either fall or recover.
- Wolf Spirit (Tactical)
- Unleash a spirit wolf to hunt down the nearest enemy and activate Dread. Imagine a shadow racing through obstacles, determined to hunt its prey. Visibility is your only defense.
- Fearsome Howl (Ultimate)
- Apply Dread across the battlefield, boosting your speed for the chase. Whether in human or Wolf form, your enemies won’t know what hit them.
- Wolf Form
- Ekon transforms into a formidable direwolf, with unmatched speed to outrun mounted foes. Armed with instincts, he stalks silently, darting forward with a lethal bite before shifting back into his human form to finish off the job. His heightened senses allow him to track enemies like a bloodhound, ensuring nothing goes unnoticed.
Exploring Skydrift: A New Map Awaits
“Far west of Headwall, in the unexplored territories where maps grow uncertain, lies the legendary lost city of Skydrift,” it narrates.
Wardens will traverse through ancient caverns once ruled by majestic winged beasts, clash in an ancient stone arena, and traverse vast chain bridges to reach the enchanting palace above the clouds.
Refining the Gear Up Phase
- Enhanced POI Loot
- Red Weapon Chests now yield Masterwork weapons, showcasing elevated stats within their rarity. Blue Masterworks hold a slight edge over standard Blues, while retaining a clear distinction from the more prized Purples. Players can still find upgraded weapons outside of POIs, but only Masterwork editions are nestled within.
- Ultimate Chargers
- Previously obscure, Ultimate Chargers now shine brightly within white barrels, making them easy to spot. A golden glow signals players they’re in for a treat.
- Waypoint Markers
- As you step out of base during the gear phase, waypoint icons will lead you toward Points of Interest, enhancing communication with pingable icons to signal intentions without needing voice chat.
- The map will illuminate that POIs harbor Masterwork Weapons and Ultimate Chargers.
- Speed Gates remain activated near players, facilitating quicker returns to combat following respawns.
Unveiling Ranked Mode: Where Skills Shine
In Highguard, the Ranked mode pits teams of three against one another, divided across several skill tiers:
- Bronze (Hare)
- Silver (Goat)
- Gold (Ape)
- Platinum (Dire Wolf)
- Diamond (Gryphon)
- Master (Manticore)
- Grandmaster (Leviathan)
Your rank points hinge on victories and the margin of success:
- Overwhelming Victory: 25 RP
- Winning with 100 percent base health intact.
- Victory: 20 RP
- A tough win where both teams matched evenly.
- Close Victory: 15 RP
- A narrow win where your base had 35 percent health remaining or less.
Additionally, points accrue from winning streaks, kills, and solo queues, allowing players to ascend through the ranks.
Tracking Performance: The New Stats System
Player statistics will update, retroactively accumulating from Episode 1. The introduction of Raid and Defense stats presents an opportunity for in-depth tracking, promising more enhancements in future updates.
Gameplay Tweaks: Enhancing the Experience
- The Defensive Phase now lasts a crisp 30 seconds instead of a minute.
- Anchor Stones fuse timers extended to 80 seconds.
- Kills and assists now proudly display on the HUD above the minimap.
- Numerous improvements have been made for ziplines, making use smoother and less accidental.
- Players are limited to a maximum of 4 ziplines at a time, with the oldest replaced when a fifth is cast.
- Upgrades to mantle feel enhance gameplay fluidity.
- Upon revival, a prompt now encourages a “Thank You” emote, minimizing automatic responses.
- Pinging now includes orange weapons, revealing perks upon hovering.
- Pinging is also available for ziplines, Mara darkspawn, and Kai’s ice wall.
- Final animations for Shieldbreaker plants have been adjusted for consistency.
- Trader menus now automatically update if stock changes while they are open.
- Dead players will no longer clutter the minimap.
- Adjusted Mara’s Soul Armor power description for clarity on its effects against enemies.
- Key bindings added on PC for Map Screen and Character Info.
- AFK timer reduces from 5 minutes to 4.
- Firing Range enhancements now support parties of up to 5 players.
For those eager for the full patch notes, they can be found on X/Twitter, offering even more adjustments catering to the community’s feedback.
Update on Feb. 5 at 2:50pm CT: Highguard has just released a cinematic titled Episode 1: Wardens, illustrating the game’s characters and landscape. This addition, though perhaps better placed at launch, certainly elevates anticipation. A part two is set to drop alongside tomorrow’s update.