Guild Wars 2 launched in 2012 with eight dungeons, each offering a story mode and three to four more challenging paths. However, since then, no new dungeons have been added, with the focus shifting to other types of instances. A surprising change on June 7 now raises hopes for new dungeons in the future.
What exactly has changed? The latest update has brought a major overhaul for the old dungeons from 2012. Previously, each dungeon had its own currency, and players wanting the special armor skins had to complete the respective dungeon. This has now changed:
- There is now a new global dungeon currency called Anectodes of Dungeon Exploration. All old currencies will be converted into this.
- You still need to complete at least one story and one research path to obtain the respective dungeon skins. However, unlocking the paths now applies account-wide and no longer per character.
- At the end of each dungeon run, there is now an additional rare piece of equipment as a reward.
This change comes as a surprise to many and is somewhat bewildering. The dungeons have only been adjusted in very few points since 2012. Many players have been waiting for new dungeons for years, as many do not enjoy content for 10 players. And those players now have hope again.
Only in February was the new expansion End of Dragons released. Here you can find out everything about it:
Guild Wars 2 focuses on various instances, but not classic dungeons
What are instances in general? Guild Wars 2 offers various instance types that are only updated irregularly:
- Dungeons are traditionally designed for groups of 5 players. Their paths are somewhat longer and usually tell a small, self-contained story. There has been no new content here since 2012.
- Fractals are also aimed at 5 players but are somewhat shorter and have a scaling system. They range in difficulty from 1 to 100, with a specific fractal awaiting on each level, repeating over time. Fractals are significantly harder than dungeons, especially at high levels. The last new fractal was released in September 2020.
- Raids cater to groups of 10 players and are particularly challenging. They provide the greatest challenge and sometimes also additional challenge modes. The last new raid was released in June 2019.
- Currently, the focus is on strike missions. These are instances for 10 players, where usually only one boss awaits the players. This boss fight is fairly easy on normal mode, but the new strike missions in End of Dragons also received a challenge mode that nearly resembles raids.
What supports the idea of new dungeons? Many players wonder why ArenaNet is making such a change to Guild Wars 2 right now. There was no real reason for it. On Reddit, speculation arises that dungeons might return with the new Living World.
User Hoojiwat, on the other hand, is already fantasizing about a dungeon in Raisu Palace being introduced with Living World Season 6.
However, some users are tempering this hype. Dreamtrain, for instance, writes that this change is likely made because the Steam release is imminent. This is intended to curb the chaos of the many currencies and make the game more understandable for newcomers.
Some are also criticizing that now only certain dungeons can be completed with simple paths while others are dying out. This would not be a good experience for new players either.
Dragon Roar and adjustments for DirectX 11
What else did the patch bring? In addition to the adjustments to dungeons, the patch mainly brought bug fixes, minor QoL adjustments, and the Dragon Roar event, which runs until June 28:
- In the Dragon Roar, you can participate in various activities in Hoelbrak, including a race, the Moa race, the dragon arena, and the hologram rush. New rewards include dragon bone weapons, two new miniatures, and two new guild decorations.
- The daily success categories of the individual Icebrood Saga episodes have been consolidated into a single category.
- Fullscreen in windowed mode will now be applied to the next monitor instead of the primary monitor, which players have been asking for since 2012.
- The raid training area has been moved to Lion’s Arch and no longer requires you to be in a squad.
What do you think of the changes? Do they make the dungeons more interesting for you, or are you concerned that only certain paths will be run now because all provide the same rewards? Feel free to share in the comments.
Overall, Guild Wars 2 is currently undergoing an interesting development. Recently, content was released that players have been waiting for since 2013:
Guild Wars 2 is finally bringing the content fans have waited 9 years for today
Some are also criticizing that now only certain dungeons can be completed with simple paths while others are dying out. This would not be a good experience for new players either.
Dragon Roar and adjustments for DirectX 11
What else did the patch bring? In addition to the adjustments to dungeons, the patch mainly brought bug fixes, minor QoL adjustments, and the Dragon Roar event, which runs until June 28:
- In the Dragon Roar, you can participate in various activities in Hoelbrak, including a race, the Moa race, the dragon arena, and the hologram rush. New rewards include dragon bone weapons, two new miniatures, and two new guild decorations.
- The daily success categories of the individual Icebrood Saga episodes have been consolidated into a single category.
- Fullscreen in windowed mode will now be applied to the next monitor instead of the primary monitor, which players have been asking for since 2012.
- The raid training area has been moved to Lion’s Arch and no longer requires you to be in a squad.
What do you think of the changes? Do they make the dungeons more interesting for you, or are you concerned that only certain paths will be run now because all provide the same rewards? Feel free to share in the comments.
Overall, Guild Wars 2 is currently undergoing an interesting development. Recently, content was released that players have been waiting for since 2013:
Guild Wars 2 is finally bringing the content fans have waited 9 years for today
