The developers of Guild Wars 2 have surprisingly announced a third expansion. Along with that, there was a short teaser image and a file name. From this, we can conclude where the journey is headed. However, MeinMMO author Alexander Leitsch does not like it.
Update August 26: A trailer for the new expansion has now been released. It is called “End of Dragons,” indeed goes to Cantha, and will be released in 2021.
What does the teaser show? In the admittedly short announcement of the third expansion of Guild Wars 2, one can see an Asian-inspired city on a large bridge. The colors and the trees on the edges also suggest an Asian flair.
All of this somewhat reminds one of Cantha, the Asian region from its predecessor Guild Wars 1 Factions. This is particularly underscored by the file name of the image:
- fdcc4200311-GW2-Home-Carousel-Shing-Jea.mp4
Shing Jea was the western island where players started in Guild Wars Factions. Many players are therefore sure that the new expansion will take place in Cantha.
What is the problem? I have personally spent over 10,000 hours playing Guild Wars 1, not a small portion of which was in Cantha. I particularly enjoyed the tall buildings in the major cities, the beautiful landscapes in Shing-Jea, and also the Jade Sea.
But for me, these are good memories of Guild Wars 1. I do not like that since the expansion Path of Fire, the focus has been solely on old regions. That they constantly do service for old Guild Wars 1 fans.
I want to experience something new, discover new zones and worlds. Guild Wars 2 has so much to tell that is not related to the predecessor.
In addition, I fear that this will greatly disrupt the lore.
Why Cantha is not a good choice for me
What is currently happening in Cantha? There is an official canon for the 250 years between Guild Wars 1 and Guild Wars 2, including for the continent of Cantha. There was a significant change under Emperor Usoku.
He united the warring tribes of the Kurzick and Luxon very radically. He conquered their territories and forced them into peace. He also banished all non-human beings from the continent, which is why there are only Tengus left in the Dominion of Winds, the city next to Lion’s Arch. Many critics of the Emperor also fled with the non-human beings.
After that, a policy of isolation began, in which Cantha increasingly shut itself off from the rest of the world. The old dragon Zhaitan also helped with this, as it blocked the sea route with its undead.
How does this fit with our story? Not at all! We are a community of 5 or sometimes even more different races. Most players do not use humans, even though they are the most popular of the playable races.
Furthermore, we are currently fighting an old dragon named Jormag in the north. There may well be a possibility to end the story with Jormag and then find a way that leads to Cantha.
The usual speculations involve the Deep Sea Dragon, which could potentially threaten Cantha. But even if the story were to revolve around the Deep Sea Dragon, that does not explain why I would enter a continent far to the south that is even hostile to me as a Sylvari. Or why I should help Canthans at all. Where were they when we needed help?
In addition, killing dragons still causes suffering throughout the world. I do not yet see a real story that leads to Cantha.
Must there be fan service? The reason they are releasing Cantha now is the desire of some players on reddit and in the forums. The Asian continent has been called for years due to its appearance, just like the contents of the Living World Season 1, which are also being relaunched.
But with Cantha, they are conforming, having to bend their story and ideas without losing, while simultaneously building huge expectations based on memories of Guild Wars 1.
This could work or go terribly wrong.
Cantha is probably still good for GW2
Why is Cantha still not a bad choice? Please do not get me wrong: I love Guild Wars 2, and I am very excited about the expansion, even if I personally do not like the theme.
An expansion will benefit the MMORPG and ensure that the game finally gets some attention from outside. Cantha is excellent for this because, unlike the previous game world, it can be beautifully designed.
I just would have liked something else, something new and unused. The world of Tyria has so much to offer in the west, east, and north. Why constrain oneself to a corset set by Guild Wars 1?
What would I have liked to see? I would have been happy with something no one expected and that has not yet been mentioned in the game:
- An ancient and unknown culture hidden somewhere in the east.
- An expansion in caves where we encounter petrified dwarves that can be very peculiar.
- Or, if we are indeed facing the Deep Sea Dragon, a gigantic underwater world.
I personally am not excited about the new setting at all, because for me, as a lore nerd and a long-time Guild Wars 1 player, they can only lose.
Where to go if it is not Cantha?
Is it really going to be Cantha? There is indeed a chance that ArenaNet just wants to confuse us with this teaser. Because Cantha has not been officially mentioned at all.
The announcement only states that a third expansion is being worked on and shows this teaser image. One could potentially interpret other contents into it:
- It is possible that my wish for an underwater world could be fulfilled, and we only briefly enter Shing-Jea.
- It is possible that fleeing Canthans have established a new Shing-Jea in the eastern part of the world.
But let’s be honest: Currently, a hype train is rolling toward Cantha. And if it is not going to be the Asian continent now, then Guild Wars 2 would lose again because many players would be extremely disappointed.
- On the positive side, Guild Wars 2 is finally communicating with the players. This fulfills my greatest wish for 2020.
- The tall buildings in Kaineng are also perfect for Jumping Puzzles, my favorite activity in GW2.
