Highguard Episode 2 Is Here, With a New Warden, Map, Ranked Mode, And More

Surprise! Highguard has different "heaping heap of fresh, escaped content" for you, including a caller warden, map, a ranked mode, mount, and a assortment of QoL tweaks, too.

The caller free-to-play PvP raid shooter hailing from immoderate of the creators of Respawn's Apex Legends and Titanfall lone released a mates of weeks ago, but that hasn't stopped developer Wildlight from dropping a 2nd "major update" successful arsenic galore weeks, this clip introducing Episode 2.

New warden Ekon is described arsenic a legendary monster-slayer who shapeshifts into a almighty direwolf to way and hunt his prey. The past of a agelong enactment of past magic wielders known arsenic the Wildwalkers, erstwhile thought extinct, Ekon jumps into enactment erstwhile his mentor, and closest happening to family, goes missing successful the mislaid onshore of Highguard.

His passive ability, Dread, reveals the heartbeat of wounded enemies, and their heartbeats volition proceed to beryllium disposable until they are dormant oregon regen their health. His tactical, Wolf Spirit, lets you hunt the nearest force and use Dread — adjacent crossed agelong distances and done walls and rocks — and eventual quality Wolf Form sees him crook into a almighty direwolf that tin way and hunt mounted enemies.

As for the caller representation Skydrift? Coming to the 3v3 and present imperishable 5v5 rotation, wardens tin navigate done hollowed-out caverns erstwhile location to large winged-beasts, spar disconnected against 1 different successful an past ringing of stone, and thrust crossed immense concatenation bridges and done "remarkable Sky Jumpers to scope Skydrifts highest constituent — a palace supra the clouds." The afloat notes are included below.

Highguard Episode 2 Patch Notes — Out February 6

A NEW WARDEN ARRIVES — EKON

A legendary monster-slayer who shapeshifts into a almighty direwolf to way and hunt his prey. Ekon is the past of a agelong enactment of past magic wielders known arsenic the Wildwalkers, erstwhile thought extinct. When his mentor, and closest happening to family, goes missing successful the mislaid onshore of Highguard, determination is nary monster oregon warden this large predator volition let to basal successful his way.

Dread (Passive)

Reveal the heartbeat of wounded enemies. Once an force Warden is debased health, they are highlighted successful pulsing beats until they are dead, oregon their wellness regenerates.

Wolf Spirit (Tactical)

Unleash a tone wolf to hunt the nearest force and use Dread. This Wolf Spirit travels agelong distances, moving consecutive done rocks and structures to find its prey. If seen successful time, it tin beryllium changeable down. This quality tin beryllium formed successful quality form, oregon successful Wolf form.

Fearsome Howl (Ultimate)

Apply Dread to each enemies crossed the representation and summation your question speed. This quality tin beryllium formed successful quality form, oregon successful Wolf form.

Wolf Form

Ekon doesn’t thrust an carnal into battle, helium becomes 1 — transforming into a almighty direwolf that tracks, hunts, and runs down mounted enemies. While successful this form, Ekon’s velocity is unmatched by different mounts. Through a afloat third-person constituent of view, the direwolf tin spot astir cover. When moving successful for an attack, weapons are laid down successful favour of Ekon’s deadly wound attack, which volition dash guardant and wound a prey earlier instantly transforming backmost to quality signifier to decorativeness disconnected the job. Attacking without a people volition let Ekon to execute a tiny aerial dash to traverse maps much athletically. In addition, portion successful Wolf Form, Ekon tin way an enemy’s scent that they permission successful their path. Ekon tin usage each of his different powers portion successful Wolf Form.

A NEW LOCATION IS DISCOVERED — SKYDRIFT

Far westbound of Headwall, beyond the vast, uncharted lands of Highguard wherever the maps spell blank and expeditions spell missing lies the fabled mislaid metropolis of Skydrift precocious awakened.

Wardens tin navigate done hollowed retired caverns erstwhile location to large winged-beasts, spar disconnected against 1 different successful an past ringing of stone, and thrust crossed colossal concatenation bridges and done singular Sky Jumpers to scope Skydrifts highest constituent - a palace supra the clouds.

Skydrift is added to the representation rotation successful 3v3 and 5v5.

THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER — RANKED MODE

Gain Ranked Points (RP), gain constituent modifiers and ascent the ranks to assertion your rewards. Go from Bronze (Hare) to Grandmaster (Leviathan) if you’ve got what it takes! Visit the Headwall paper successful crippled to spot much information.

Ranked Structure

• The format for Ranked is 3v3
• We judge 3v3 is the much tactical operation of the crippled and fits champion for comp. We volition show feedback arsenic we get it.
• Each occurrence volition person 2 Ranked Splits. Splits volition alteration the representation and basal list, and present immoderate equilibrium changes.
• All players commencement Ranked for the archetypal clip successful Bronze 3.
• Each Rank has 3 Divisions.
• There are 7 Ranks
• Bronze (Hare)
• Silver (Goat)
• Gold (Ape)
• Platinum (Dire Wolf)
• Diamond (Gryphon)
• Master (Manticore)
• Grandmaster (Leviathan)
• At the extremity of each Episode, you volition beryllium rewarded based connected the Rank you achieved astatine the extremity of the Episode.
• De-Ranking: You tin lone de-rank wrong a Division during a Split. For example, by losing matches you tin de-rank from Gold 2 into Gold 3, but you cannot de-rank from Gold 3 into Silver 1.
• At the commencement of each Split, you volition not de-rank astatine all. At the commencement of each Episode, you volition determination backwards 6 Divisions (2 afloat Ranks)

Fairness

• Play with teammates up to 2 tiers difference
• A 2 idiosyncratic enactment indispensable beryllium wrong +/- 1 tier of each other
• A afloat enactment of 3 tin premix immoderate ranks and beryllium capable to play. You volition queue into the Rank of the apical Ranked player.
• Solo Bonus: If you’re playing without a party, you’ll gain the Solo modifier (details below). You’ll summation much points and suffer little per match.
• Loss Protection: You accrue nonaccomplishment extortion for playing matches each the mode through. It volition get automatically spent to halt you from losing RP.
• Early Leaver Penalty is much terrible successful Ranked. Leaving aboriginal counts arsenic 2 strikes and resets your Loss Protection.

Scoring System

We deliberation if you triumph big, you should people big.

Victory has 3 versions, earlier the modifiers are applied.

• Overwhelming Victory: 25 RP
• This is winning with 100% basal wellness remaining
• Victory: 20 RP
• This is modular triumph wherever each squad was much evenly matched
• Close Victory: 15 RP
• This is winning wherever your basal had 35% basal wellness oregon little remaining

For defeat:

• Defeat: -25 RP
• If you mislaid without doing harm to the force team.
• Strong Defense: -20 RP
• If you lost, but had done immoderate harm to the force team.
• Close Defeat: -15 RP
• If you lost, but had done astatine slightest 65% harm to the force team.

Other modifiers:

• Winning Streak Bonus: adds 3 RP for each triumph successful a row, up to 6 other points per game.
• Kill Bonus: Earn other RP for kills, up to a headdress of 5 points per game.
• Solo Bonus: Always gain an other 4 points if queuing up solo.

Imbalance Protection

• If a crippled is deemed imbalance by subordinate ranks:
• The favored squad volition person little points to triumph and much points to lose
• The weaker squad volition person accrued points to win, and little points to lose

Requirements

• In bid to unlock Ranked Mode, you indispensable Win 10 matches of 3v3 Raid Mode.
• This is retroactive. If you’ve already won 10 matches successful Episode 1, Ranked Mode volition beryllium unlocked immediately.

Maps

• The Ranked Mode playlist volition person a subset of maps and bases per Split.
• We volition alteration the database each divided to support the rotation interesting, but let clip to physique accordant strategies.
• The archetypal Split volition person maps Kingdom, Summit and Rivermark, and bases Hellmouth, Smuggler’s Den, King’s Lair, Soul Well, Frosthold and Wellspring.
• As much bases get added to the game, we deliberation having a full of 6 bases successful Ranked allows players to maestro definite bases and physique competitory strategies implicit a Split, but inactive request to maestro much than 1 basal due to the fact that your archetypal prime won’t ever beryllium available.

Rewards

• Episodic Reward: Ranked players volition gain a marque caller cosmetic point called Banner Frames.
• You volition beryllium awarded the Frame that matches the Rank you achieved successful the Episode.
• Frames turn successful prestige astatine higher Ranks!
• Every Episode volition gain a caller themed Banner Frame. This Episode’s taxable is Ekon and the Wolf and volition beryllium awarded astatine the commencement of Episode 3.

A NEW BEAST HAS BEEN TAMED — WOLF MOUNT

WOLF

Loyal battalion huntsman of the wild. The caller wolf equine is escaped to each players.

• Try Ranked Challenge: Play 10 matches of Ranked to gain the Shadow Wolf skin.

GEAR UP PHASE UPDATES

One accordant constituent of feedback we’ve heard is that the Gear Phase needs improvements.

We’re tackling that successful 4 ways for the motorboat of Episode 2, and we’ll proceed to enactment connected that signifier successful the future.

Better POI Loot

Red Weapon Chests successful POIs present incorporate Masterwork weapons.Masterwork weapons person improved stats wrong their rarity. Blue Masterworks are amended than Blues, but inactive little prime than Purple. Players tin inactive loot upgraded weapons extracurricular of POIs, but the Masterwork versions of weapons each circular are lone recovered successful POIs.

Ultimate Chargers

These items are recovered successful achromatic barrels successful POIs, but we’ve seen that players are having a hard clip identifying that. In bid to marque that clear, achromatic barrels that incorporate Ultimate Chargers present person an evident golden glow.

Waypoint Markers

When you permission your basal successful the cogwheel phase, waypoint icons volition usher players towards the Points of Interest. They’re besides pingable truthful players tin pass intent without dependable comms.

The representation volition besides pass that POIs incorporate Masterwork Weapons and Ultimate Chargers.

Speed Gates

Speed Gates are ever connected erstwhile a subordinate is adjacent them, alternatively of lone erstwhile a Shieldbreaker is present. This should let players to get backmost to fights aft respawning,

QUALITY OF LIFE & NEW FEATURES

As we proceed to amended the crippled done feedback, bug fixing and tiny features, we volition papers them here. When necessary, we’ll usage “dev notes” to springiness discourse connected wherefore we made a circumstantial change.

Stats 1.0

Players privation stats! For Episode 2 we person added a Stats paper to Headwall.

The stats tracked present are mostly retroactive from Episode 1.

Raid Attack and Defense occurrence stats are caller for Episode 2, arsenic we are conscionable present starting to way these stats.

We volition proceed to grow this diagnostic successful aboriginal episodes.

New Orange Weapon Mods:

We volition proceed to premix up orangish limb mods. For Episode 2, we are adding assortment and not removing anything.

• Saber Rifle - Impact Rounds
• Increased captious harm (headshots) with a slower complaint of fire. Fires a 2 changeable burst alternatively of three. Faster projectile speed.
• Vanguard - Drum Magazine
• Much larger magazine, with a slower reload.
• Corsair - Doubleshot
• Fire a 12 circular burst connected each trigger pull

Technical Updates

• From the past patch, show optimizations were applied to subordinate replication, question netcode, and siege operation rendering.
• Users tin present alteration NVIDIA Reflex connected supported systems.
• Several optimizations were added to trim bandwidth utilization.

Gameplay Updates:

• The Defensive Phase astatine the commencement of the crippled has been reduced to 30 seconds from 60.
• Anchor Stones fuse timers person been accrued to 80 seconds from 60.
• Dev note: The extremity present is to marque Anchor Stones a spot harder to triumph on
• We’ve added your Kills and Assists to the HUD supra the minimap.
• Many zipline usability improvements, including smoother attaching and riding, and making it harder to accidentally attach
• Players tin present person a maximum of 4 ziplines. When casting the 5th, their archetypal 1 volition automatically destroy
• Improvements to mantle feel
• You volition beryllium prompted to driblet the BigRig erstwhile it gets to debased oregon zero ammo
• Upon being revived, you present get a hint to pat the emote fastener to accidental "Thank You". As a byproduct your quality volition nary longer automatically accidental convey you.
• Pinged orangish weapons volition present amusement the perk erstwhile you hover connected them
• You tin present ping ziplines
• You tin present ping Mara darkspawn erstwhile it’s highlighted done walls (at the extremity of a raid)
• You tin present ping Kai’s crystal wall
• Pinging a Shieldbreaker oregon Domesplitter works constituent present has much circumstantial ping VO based connected the scenario.
• The extremity crippled podium volition present item radical who had the highest stats connected their team
• Smugglers Den minimap has been updated to beryllium much accurate
• Adjusted the last Shieldbreaker works animation to instrumentality precisely arsenic agelong arsenic a mean one
• The Trader paper volition darken and update if his banal changes portion you person the paper open
• Dev note: This is to trim accidentally purchasing thing close arsenic the banal is upgrading.
• Dead players nary longer amusement up connected the minimap
• Dev note: This seemed confusing and redundant with being capable to spot a player's orb done walls.
• Adjusted Mara’s Soul Armor powerfulness statement to see that it besides works connected force players (so beryllium cautious wherever you propulsion it)
• Added cardinal bindings connected PC for Map Screen, Character Info and Loadout
• AFK timer successful a lucifer has been reduced from 5 minutes to 4
• Firing Range targets person been replaced with caller versions that enactment unfastened truthful you tin trial sustained fire
• Firing Range tin present accommodate parties of up to 5 players

Lobby/Menu Updates:

• Added an enactment to permission the enactment by clicking connected enactment member’s societal card
• You present get a connection confirming that you sent a Friend Request
• Slider bars successful the settings paper tin present beryllium adjusted by typing successful numbers
• Changing your controller illustration volition present item what buttons are changing
• You tin present unblock players successful your Social tab

Weapon Updates:

Vanguard

• Slightly slowing complaint of occurrence and raising damage. TTK is astir equivalent. This conscionable reduces the fig of bullets required to kill
• Increased headshot multiplier

Longhorn

• Repeater - Less vertical kick, faster rise time, faster sprint rise time, little dispersed (hipfire), slower dispersed bloom (hipfire)

Viper - Impact Rounds

• Smaller mag size
• More kick

Item Updates:

• Amulet: Bomb Kit
• Bomb works clip nerfed (2.5s -> 3s). Defuse clip is inactive 2.5s.
• Amulet: Harvester nary longer drops bonus Ultimate Chargers from White Supply Barrels.
• Slightly lowered the apical velocity of orangish Saddles.

Character Updates:

Slade

• Fixed a bug wherever the interaction harm from his Ultimate was not dealing harm connected uneven terrain.
• Adding friend/foe recognition to Slade’s VFXs. Enemy occurrence volition present instrumentality connected a darker reddish appearance.

Redmane

• Redmane tin present interruption floors he’s lasting connected with his tactical
• Redmane’s tactical present hits players much reliably.
• Leaping into coagulated geo with Redmane volition driblet him to the crushed faster, alternatively of bouncing disconnected and floating down.

Mara

• Mara volition present dismount automatically erstwhile casting Immortal Coil portion mounted, alternatively of getting an mistake message.

Una

• Improved Una minion people acquisition velocity (they should sprout astatine players faster)
• Fixed Una minions having larger hitboxes than intended.

Atticus

• Adjusted Atticus’s Ultimate audio to not beryllium occluded by geo. This means you tin perceive him amended successful his progressive Ultimate authorities adjacent if he’s successful different room.

Quest:

The Quest is designed to beryllium a acceptable of hard challenges to implicit complete the people of an Episode for immoderate escaped rewards and bragging rights. Because Episode 1 was lone 2 weeks long, we decided to support the Episode 1 Quest progressive done Episode 2. We’ll beryllium backmost successful Episode 3 with much challenges and much rewards.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a bug wherever characters with question velocity bonuses could double-dip connected descent boosts
• Fixed instances wherever you would sometimes get bumped disconnected the zipline erstwhile respawning
• Fixed immoderate issues wherever the Play fastener would beryllium unresponsive
• Fixed an contented wherever loot successful chests would amusement highlights for antithetic rarities
• Fixed a bug wherever the Care Package was dropping excessively debased of level loot successful the 3rd cogwheel up signifier and beyond.
• Fixed an contented wherever Emote anti-peek wasn’t hiding force mounts
• Fixed an contented wherever you could respawn with your archetypal loadout erstwhile dying to biology hazards similar lava
• Fixed collision issues connected Dustline
• Fixed aggregate ways to interruption Training by leaping and climbing implicit walls
• Fixed immoderate incorrect cardinal bindings successful the UI
• Improved the reliability of dependable chat icons
• Fixed an contented wherever the Shieldbreaker would sometimes driblet successful inaccessible places if you tried to participate your ain base
• Removed the quality to driblet the Shieldbreaker connected apical of the force dome (how cheeky)
• Fixed uncommon cases wherever “Position Revealed” would enactment connected your surface agelong aft a raid was over
• Fixed an contented wherever pressing Esc to permission the Social paper would cancel matchmaking
• Fixed an contented wherever Slade’s arms would not reset aft losing his Hot Streak
• Fixed quality to repair ample gates successful bases
• Fixed Condor moving successful spot erstwhile she uses her Ultimate Power portion running
• Reduced the magnitude of surface the Longhorn Repeater covers portion jumping and firing
• Fixed immoderate invisible collision blocking bullets supra banners connected Wellspring base
• Fixed immoderate cases of your subordinate having a 3rd arm
• Multi-Lock Rocket Launcher volition nary longer people trees
• Fixed mounts not playing due h2o audio and fx erstwhile moving done it
• Fixed quality for players to ping erstwhile riding a zipline
• Removed the quality to spot Mara’s Immortal Coil connected unfastened doors
• Fixed the zipline weapon colliding with aerial successful immoderate areas of Summit
• Fixed Blast Hammers from doing splash harm down you erstwhile used
• Players are nary longer detected by Condor’s tactical erstwhile lasting inactive connected their mount
• Fixed Una summoning a Tree Walker successful mid aerial by riding a zipline
• Fixed immoderate locations successful Wellspring basal wherever you would get kicked disconnected your mount
• Fixed an contented wherever you would deed yourself with a rocket if fired portion moving afloat velocity connected a mount
• Improved crippled show erstwhile mounting oregon dismounting
• Improved immoderate translations for antithetic languages, some successful substance and VO
• Added localized translations for antithetic languages successful the Advanced Training video
• Fixed the Crossplay mounting not redeeming erstwhile changed to disconnected connected consoles
• Fixed uncommon cases wherever your controls would beryllium unresponsive aft utilizing a equine emote
• Fixed a bug that would origin ambient audio to driblet out
• Fixed a bug wherever rodent and controller sensitivity settings weren't being applied correctly portion transitioning betwixt hipfire and ADS
• Resolved a bug wherever DLSS presets did not instantly look oregon vanish successful the Settings paper aft modifying the antialiasing mode.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.