Guild Wars 2has nearly 300,000 active players daily, and the long-running MMO is nearing the release of its third full expansion pack:End of Dragons.End of Dragonsbrings the Commander to the eastern-themed continent of Cantha - a land last visited inFactions, the first expansion pack for the originalGuild Wars. Much has changed across the world of Tyria over the 250 years between games, leaving new wonders, mysteries, and dangers forGuild Wars 2players to discover.
Game Rant joined a hands-on guided tour of Cantha to experience some highlights forGuild Wars 2: End of Dragons. The development team showed off the Canthan Guild Hall, its new fishing system, and the upcoming skiff vehicle. The tour also included new combat content, such as a Group Mission featuring the new siege turtle mount, a high-difficulty Strike Mission, and the Elder Dragon-themed Legendary Weapons.
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Guild Wars 2, Better Together
TheEnd of Dragonsdigital tour began with the new Canthan Guild Hall, the Isle of Reflection. Located on the island of Tinnairukan, site of the formerShing Jea Arena inGuild Wars, veteran fansmay recognize the battleground where they defeated Reiko Murakami of the Ministry of Purity. Players can unlock the Isle of Reflection Guild Hall through a story quest that will scale in difficulty, meaning guilds of any size can complete it.
As one may expect from the name, the Isle of Reflection provides ample space for fishing, a new mastery line inEnd of Dragonswith an emphasis on social gameplay. Players can fish in bodies of water in anyarea inGuild Wars 2, and can participate in Fishing Tournaments across Tyria. ThroughoutEnd of Dragons, players can also unlock the skiff: a five-person water mount that can drop anchor to provide mobile fishing spots. Though it can be a relaxing solo endeavor, players who fish together get a boost to their effectiveness, meaning they can collect even more rare fish to use in cooking recipes and crafting Legendary Weapons.
Guild Wars 2’s new Legendary Weapons are themed after Aurene. These beautiful, crystaline weapons contain a fraction of the power of the prismatic Elder Dragon, and are the third set of Legendary Weapons the game has introduced. Players can complete multiple crafting and combat challenges, unlocking mighty weapons forGuild Wars 2characters of specific professionsthat are set with customizable stats and special Elder Dragon finishing flourishes.Guild Wars 2will also be adding upgrades that allow these Legendary Weapons to adopt the appearances and abilities of the game’s five other Elder Dragons, leading to six different appearances for all 16 weapons.
The Guilds and Wars in End of Dragons
Equipped with Legendary Weapons, theGuild Wars 2digital tour reached the Echovald WildsDescribed as the “Alaska of Cantha,” this massive forest was petrified by the cataclysmic Jade Wind inGuild Wars: Factions, and has gradually seen life return over the last two-and-a-half centuries. Despite this, the echoes of the Kurzicks - the defunct faction which once called Echovald home - are still evident in the ruins across the land, like the capital of House zu Heltzer.
Three gangs vie for control of the uncontrollable forest: the Jade Brotherhood, the Speakers, and the Kestrels. The Jade Brotherhood is an extremist faction formed when the co-founder of theXunlai Jade Corporation of Canthasplit off to further jade tech advancement without rules or regulations. The Speakers oppose the spread of jade tech, and wield spirit magic to fight against it. Lastly, the Kestrels are independent and skeptical rangers who seek peace and quiet for the Wilds.
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One returning area inEnd of Dragonsis Fort Aspenwood: a PvP map fromGuild Wars: Factions. The old fort is now a jade tech weapons lab for the Jade Brotherhood. However, when the jade tech constructs went haywire, a member of the Jade Brotherhood teamed up with a Kestrel to handle the mess (along with help from players' adventurers). Mounted uponEnd of Dragons’new Siege Turtle, the assault team broke into the fort, destroyed waves of automaton defenses and mutated Jade Brotherhood experiments, and destroyed the Gods’ Vengeance: an ancient Kurzick super weapon that had gained a sentience thanks to the Jade Brotherhood’s mad science. The multipart siege was just one of many area events players can look forward to in the Echovald Wilds and the other areas ofEnd of Dragons.
Strike Mission Impossible: The Aetherblade Hideout
TheGuild Wars 2: End of Dragonstour culminated in a Strike Mission, the newest type of battle introduced during theIcebrood Saga. InEnd of Dragons, core boss encounters in solo instances throughout the story will appear in the 10-man Strike Missions across multiple difficulties, each with greater rewards, so players ofmultiple skill levels inGuild Wars 2can challenge them. The Aetherblade Hideout is one such Strike Mission, in which players were confronted with Mai Trin, Captain of the Aetherblades: a troublesome group of multidimensional pirates who have been a thorn in the sides of Commanders sinceLiving WorldSeason 1.
Trin has new tricks up her sleeve, and the battle was chaotic, exciting, and deadly. Choosing from thenine new Elite Specializations inEnd of Dragons, Game Rant chose Bladesworn: the new gunsaber-wielding Warrior who combines powerful strikes with devastating explosions. Its powerful samurai-like Dragon Slash abilities weren’t enough to protect against the Strike Mission’s twists and turns, and not even God Mode cheat codes can save one from instant death mechanics. However, with tenacity, teamwork, and a little developer magic, the media tour put an end to Mai Trin’s scheme.
There are many things for players to look forward to inEnd of Dragons. With a mix of brand-new locations and callbacks to events fromGuild Wars, both old andnewGuild Wars 2playerswill take a lot from what Cantha has to offer. ThoughEnd of Dragonsdoes not have a release date yet,Guild Wars 2is almost ready to nail down a precise time, and it should be out by the end of February. With launch just around the corner, players should expect more reveals in the weeks leading up to the conclusion of the Elder Dragons saga.
Guild Wars 2is available now on PC, withEnd of Dragonsreleasing in February 2022.
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