On July 27, 2021, the livestream for the new Guild Wars 2 expansion End of Dragons took place. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch summarized everything important for you and covered the event in the live ticker.
Update 18:50: The main points from the livestream in brief:
- End of Dragons will be released in February 2022
- We will go to Cantha and the first two regions have already been presented
- New features include:
- The Siege Turtle as a mount for 2 players
- Fishing
- Sailing
- The first new elite specialization for the Mesmer was shown
- There is a new guild hall
- The expansion comes with all 16 Legendarys, which are to be oriented around Aurene
- Preorders start already tonight (July 27)
Detailed information about the expansion can be found here: Guild Wars 2: Everything we know about the new expansion End of Dragons.
What an event was that? In the livestream, the new expansion End of Dragons was presented in detail, which will be released in early 2022. You were provided with information about the new areas, the story, the upcoming elite specializations, and what else is included in the expansion.
Additionally, there were interviews with the developers who have been working on the expansion.
When does the livestream start? It starts at 6:00 PM our time. The event will be broadcast in English via Facebook, YouTube and Twitch. For the German community, Honeyball will translate the stream in parallel (via Twitch).
The live ticker for End of Dragons
Update 18:46: The trailer will be shown again, then the livestream will probably be over.
Update 18:44: Preorders for End of Dragons start today. Here’s what’s included in the packages:
- Standard Version (29.99 Euro) – grants preorder bonuses in the form of a Flame Serpent weapon chest, a “Shing Jea” mosaic cloak, the special title “Shing Jea Wonderchild” for characters, a shared inventory slot, and a character upgrade to level 80.
- Deluxe Edition (54.99 Euro) – additionally contains a Skiff skin for the Shing Jea dragon boat, a Cantha raptor skin for raptor mounts, an additional character slot, and an identity repair kit.
- The Ultimate Edition (79.99 Euro) – includes the exclusive items from the Standard and Deluxe Editions as well as 4,000 gems.
Update 18:43: End of Dragons is to be released in February 2022!
Update 18:42: Now an Aurene statue was shown. You can buy it.
Update 18:41: There will be 4 events before the release of End of Dragons, where the elite specializations can be tested in a beta. The first beta starts in 3 weeks, on August 17. Each event will feature 3 specializations, and in the last event, there will be all 9. Everyone should be able to participate.
Update 18:40: The engine upgrade from DirectX 9 to DirectX 11 is also expected to enter beta in 2021.
Update 18:39: The alliances in WvW are expected to enter beta this summer. Players should be able to provide feedback on the changes before they are permanently implemented.
Update 18:37: Now it’s about the content that will come in 2021. The currently ongoing event with the old episodes of the Living World is mentioned. More information can be found here: Guild Wars 2 is soon launching a special event for newcomers and returning players – Is it worth it?
Update 18:36: Colin Johanson emphasizes once again that End of Dragons will not be the end of Guild Wars 2.
Update 18:35: WvW players should get the alliance system before the release of End of Dragons. Work is also being done on the technology.
Update 18:33: Josh Davis, a former developer, is also back and is now talking about the live service.
Update 18:30: Clones are no longer available. Phantasms are still present. Dagger is the weapon, and it is used at range. The first attack is a thrown dagger. The second skill causes damage and stacks daggers, which can later be used by the “F” ability. The third attack is a dagger storm that moves toward enemies.
Update 18:28: The Virtuoso is the specialization for the Mesmer. The others will be introduced later.
Update 18:27: Now it’s about elite specializations! They are to be oriented around the lore of Cantha.
Update 18:26: The Aetherblades are coming back, even with Mai Trin.
Update 18:25: The new guild hall will be located in the old Shing Jea arena. The conquest will proceed as usual, but the scaling has been adjusted. You should encounter larger enemies more often and fewer small mobs. The focus will be on the many water surfaces.
Update 18:25: Guild halls are the next topic.
Update 18:24: Kappas, Nagas, and other familiar creatures are to be found again in Cantha.
Update 18:23: In addition, the rewards for attack missions are to be adjusted.
Update 18:23: Each attack mission in End of Dragons will have a challenge mode aimed at raiders. The focus will be on opponents from the story of EoD. Creatures in the challenge mode will gain new abilities, not just more health and damage.
Update 18:23: Attack missions are the next topic.
Update 18:22: All 16 Legendarys will be available right at launch. They are oriented around Aurene. The precursor reminds of baby Aurene, while the completed weapons resemble the adult version. Visually, however, they are not as special as many had hoped.
Update 18:20: Next up are Legendarys!
Update 18:18: EoD brings 5 new masteries, including Siege Turtle, Sailing, and Fishing. Fishing will not only be possible in Cantha.
Update 18:18: Fishing is officially confirmed as a new feature! There are to be over 200 different fish species.
Update 18:17: The Siege Turtle is supposed to offer something for the driver (who controls) and the second player. Perhaps attack abilities?
Update 18:16: A significant new feature is the Siege Turtles. They are to become a mount for 2 players. Especially new players should be able to enjoy the coop mount because they can ride it directly.
Update 18:15: There was previously talk of two new maps in End of Dragons. That would be surprisingly few.
Update 18:15: Noshir Dalal will voice a detective.
Update 18:14: The world is supposed to differ from GW1, but notable landmarks should be recognizable.
Update 18:13: The maps should feel completely new and like a vacation island. They should feel peaceful but also dangerous. A large lake and the huge trees are to play an important role. Verticality should play a role, as should freedom of movement.
Update 18:12: Next up is the map.
Update 18:11: Erika Ishii, the voice actress for June, was briefly showcased.
Update 18:10: The developers promise life everywhere in the open world of Cantha. The environment looks colorful and beautifully designed in the first video snippets.
Update 18:09: Marjory and Kasmeer are to accompany us in End of Dragons. Aurene is also supposed to play an important role in the story.
Update 18:08: The developers talk about the history of Cantha, Shiro, and the fact that Cantha has isolated itself from the outside world. However, the events of the world should have influenced the continent as well.
Update 18:07: The trailer for the expansion:
Update 18:06: The detail information begins with the lore and the game world.
Update 18:05: The players fly to Cantha on airships, Aetherblades have been shown. The voice of the empress can be heard. An NPC is fishing in the trailer and some suspect that fishing could be the special feature.
Update 18:04: The official trailer is shown.
Update 18:03: Today’s livestream is intended to be just a first glimpse. Further blog posts and presentations are planned for the coming weeks.
Update 18:01: Colin Johanson, the former game director of GW2 until 2015, is back and talks about Guild Wars Factions. That was the first expansion that Guild Wars 1 received, and it has been 15 years already.
Update 18:00: And it starts, the old trailer for the expansion that we already know is shown. Visible are the dragon Kuunavang and some assets related to Cantha.
Update 17:52: 8 minutes until the start of the livestream. Many are already excited in the chat about the elite specializations.
Update 17:42: The pre-show is over, and in a few minutes the official livestream along with a 15-minute countdown will begin.
Update 17:15: The pre-show for the event has started, and ArenaNet partner Bird of Chess summarizes the history of the MMORPG so far. Already over 15,000 people are watching.
What are we doing at MeinMMO? We will cover the event here in this news in the live ticker and directly categorize the shown information. It starts at 5:45 PM, and then you will find all information in text and images in this post.
The ticker will be run by Alexander Leitsch, who has already played 8,000 hours in Guild Wars 2 and has run a dedicated fansite for the game for years.
What do we know so far about End of Dragons? Not much yet. Based on the first teaser images, we will go to Cantha, the continent that was already part of Guild Wars 1 Factions. Moreover, the developers have already revealed that there will be new elite specializations and that, despite what the name suggests, End of Dragons will not be the end of the story of Guild Wars 2.
