With the new episode “No Mercy”, the MMORPG Guild Wars 2 is bringing new content to the game in May. This includes a map that emphasizes a huge event. Many players are already looking forward to it.
What’s in the new update? The trailer for the third episode of the Icebrood Saga provides an overview of the contents of “No Mercy”. The focus is on the new map “Mistwood Coast” and the continuation of the story.
But the other contents of the update are worth seeing as well. There will be:
- A new assault mission
- Two new weapon sets
- A new four-piece armor set (preview in the title image)
- New back pieces
- The new emote “Take Death”
- A new mastery to fit the map
When will the update be released? “No Mercy” is set to release on Tuesday, May 26. The episode will thus be in direct competition with the release of the ESO expansion Greymoor.
As usual, the update is free as long as you log in at least once before the next episode is released. The trailer already prepares you for the contents:
Why is the trailer so quiet? Due to COVID-19, there is currently no possibility to record voiceovers in studios. Therefore, the trailer was released without narration.
However, this will not only affect the trailer. The episode itself will also be released without voice recordings, as the voice actors have shared in a beautiful video.
New map-wide meta event with a lot of action
What makes the new map special? The Mistwood Coast is structured similarly to World vs. World, a PvP mode from Guild Wars 2. However, players do not fight against each other, but against their common enemy, Bangar Stormbringer, and his troops.
In an initial screenshot of the map, you can already see that it is divided into different zones. These are either controlled by players (blue) or by enemy NPCs (red).
Players now have the task of coordinating and waging a war against the Charr on the map. The trailer already shows various siege weapons and capture points that will play an important role in this war.
Why is the map the most interesting since 2015? With the Heart of Thorns expansion, the Dragon’s Resistance came into play, a map that consists entirely of a giant event.
Even today, it is still one of the most popular and visited maps in the game because it features an exciting event and a battle against a giant dragon, but also because of the rewards.
The announcement already mentioned new weapon and armor sets. If these can be earned through the map’s meta event, it could keep players engaged long-term.
But another fun detail from the trailer is currently on the minds of the game’s fans.
“Finishing move” of a boss provides a lot of fun
What else is special about the episode? During the introduction of a boss from the new assault mission “Cold War”, he uses an interesting attack.
In this, he charges at the players with his elbow.
This has been celebrated on reddit as a wrestling move and has led to “John Cena” memes and other funny phrases. Additionally, many players are now wishing for this attack as a “finisher” for opponents who go downstate after their death.
The most electrifying move Anet put into the No Quarter from r/Guildwars2
What’s next after the episode? In a roadmap for the second quarter of 2020, the episode was announced for May. This rhythm has been maintained despite COVID-19. In June and July, the two annual events Dragon’s Wake, which returned for the first time after 6 years in 2019, and the Bazaar of the Four Winds are scheduled.
Presumably, the fourth episode of the Icebrood Saga will then be released in August. In the long term, the developers of Guild Wars 2 also plan a third expansion. Where this will lead and why I, Alexander Leitsch, don’t really like it, you can find out in my column at MeinMMO.
Currently, it is also a good time to start playing Guild Wars 2. Until May 9, there is a 50% discount on the Path of Fire expansion, which also includes the previous add-on automatically. You can get this package for only 14.99 Euros.
