The developers of ArenaNet and publisher NCSoft have introduced the new expansion of Guild Wars 2 called “Janthir Wilds”. MeinMMO summarizes everything you need to know about the release, housing, warclaw mount, spear, versions, legendaries and beta phases.
What is Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds? The Asura has been out of the bag since June 4, 2024! The new expansion of Guild Wars 2 is named “Janthir Wilds” and will be released this summer. You can expect a new weapon type, a familiar mount in a fresh role, player housing, and a new adventure that takes you into the eponymous wilderness of Janthir.
Is there a trailer for Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds? Of course, a companion trailer was released in time for the announcement, which you can watch below. Following that, MeinMMO summarizes all the information currently known about “Janthir Wilds.”
Release Date, Price, and Versions of GW2: Janthir Wilds
When will Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds be released? The new expansion will be released on August 20, 2024.
How much will Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds cost and what versions are available? The expansion is expected to cost €24.99 for the standard version and will receive three major content updates, like its predecessor Secrets of the Obscure, which will be released between August 2024 and summer 2025.
In addition to the standard version, there will be a Deluxe Edition (just under €50) and an Ultimate Edition (just under €75), which will entice players with exclusive items. More information about the versions can be found on the official overview page of Janthir Wilds (via ArenaNet).
Those who pre-order Janthir Wilds can secure some bonus items, including a serpent’s wrath weapon set, the whispering serpent shoulder piece, the special title “Homestead Settler” for characters, a shared inventory slot, and a character upgrade to level 80.
The three planned updates are set to be released at no additional cost and will include content such as an additional map, a new 10-player raid, new rewards (including new items in the Wizard’s Vault), and a fresh PvP game mode.
Housing, Spear, Legendaries, Raid, Warclaw Mount
At the launch of Janthir Wilds, you can look forward to the following key features:
Which zones does the add-on take us to? On one side, it goes to the Lowland Coast (home of the Lowland Kodan), and on the other side, to Janthir Syntri (known for dangerous rocky coasts, mystical storms, and wandering Titans).
What is known about the new housing feature? With the homesteads, the “most player-friendly housing system in all MMORPGs” is coming to Tyria – through a customization and decoration interface, you should be able to create and individually decorate your personal abode. More details about GW2 housing can be found here:
What do I need to know about the new mount? You can tame wild warclaws (already known from the “World vs. World” game mode) and use them as a mount to explore Janthir – the warclaw has a unique double jump ability (via guildwars2.com).
What is the new weapon? With the two-handed spear, a new weapon type for land combat is coming, with each class using the spear in their unique way. Everything you need to know about the spear weapon type can be found here:
Will there be a new raid? In a new challenge of Janthir Wilds, you will fight your way up a mountain. You have the choice to approach this content as a convergence event for 50 players or as a raid for ten players. All further details can be found here:
What about new legendaries? Through the new raid content, you will earn essences that can be used to craft legendary gear – including the legendary spear and the legendary backpack, which are expected to follow with the quarterly updates for Janthir Wilds.
From the beginning, we wanted to combine many of the points that have been on our wish list and that of our community for years. With Janthir Wilds, we show that we remain highly motivated to surprise and delight our players while simultaneously enhancing the gameplay of Guild Wars 2 in unexpected ways and supporting game modes for both the cooperative and competitive community.
Josh Davis, Game Director of Guild Wars 2, in the official announcement
The Story of Janthir Wilds
The story of the new expansion follows the events of Secrets of the Obscure. Together with the Astral Guardians and a council from Tyria’s nations, you will travel to Janthir to make contact with the Lowland Kodan. There, you will uncover the secrets of a magical threat that is causing chaos in the depths of the wilderness.
Perhaps the previously mentioned Titans wandering through Janthir Syntri have something to do with the threat. The official announcement states that they represent a mystical and unfathomable riddle in this unexplored region of Tyria.
Beta of Janthir Wilds
As part of the announcement, the developers of Guild Wars 2 revealed that an open beta phase is planned from June 27 to June 30, which anyone interested can participate in, as long as they have an account for the MMORPG. During this test, for example, you could try out the new spear with various classes.
Based on feedback from testers, the developers have already announced adjustments to the spear skills of various classes, which will be implemented by the launch of the expansion (via guildwars2.com).
Will there be another beta for Janthir Wilds? Further beta tests before the release are not planned.
Guild Wars 2 – Platforms: Game Pass, Epic Games Store, Steam
On which platforms can I play Guild Wars 2? New is the information that you will be able to acquire the base game as well as the expansions of Guild Wars 2 later this summer for the first time through the Epic Games Store. A specific date for this has not yet been announced.
Alternatively, you can continue to enjoy the MMORPG via Steam or the standalone launcher. Or you can use NVIDIA’s cloud gaming service: GeForce NOW (via guildwars2.com). Guild Wars 2 is not part of the Xbox Game Pass game library. Additionally, there is currently no console version of the online role-playing game.
As part of the MeinMMO theme week for the MMORPG genre, you voted in June for the best online role-playing games of all time for PC and console. Guild Wars 2 made it to the podium, ahead of the strong competition from The Elder Scrolls Online, SWTOR, The Lord of the Rings Online, and Dark Age of Camelot. Only WoW and Final Fantasy XIV received more votes. Here is the extensive survey results for the best MMORPG of all time.
