On August 30, Guild Wars 2 talked about future updates but had an announcement for newcomers and returnees in tow. This announcement and a special event provide the perfect opportunity to dive into the MMORPG.
What’s new in Guild Wars 2? With the end of the Future of Guild Wars 2 event, the first expansion Heart of Thorns has become free. Players will receive this automatically when they purchase the second and latest addon Path of Fire.
This change means that new players only need to spend 30 euros once and will automatically unlock all expansions. Since Guild Wars 2 does not require a subscription, there are also no monthly fees.
But ArenaNet has also launched an event to coincide with this change.
What’s happening in the new event? The event specifically targets new players and returnees. From September 3 to September 17, you will receive double experience points on masteries.
Masteries are additional skills like Gliding or Riding, which you can learn in the expansions. You need to level these to gain access to further features like infinite Gliding.
The path to this is significantly simplified by the current event.
New content is already on the horizon
Why is it still worth starting now? With the end of the bonus event on September 17, the prologue of the new Living World 5 titled Icebrood Saga will also begin.
Even if you have not completed every old content by then, it is worthwhile to be in the game when new content is released. Because Guild Wars 2 has a very unique system regarding the Living World:
- If you are present when a new chapter drops, you receive it for free.
- It’s important that you must log in once before the next chapter is released.
- If you do not do this, then you have to pay 200 gems (approximately 2.50 euros or 90 gold in-game currency) for it.
What can I experience in Guild Wars 2? The MMORPG offers you 5 playable races and 9 classes, all of which can be freely combined. You can enjoy them in 20 Fractals, 7 Raids, and a huge number of open-world areas.
Additionally, there is PvP in separate arenas or World vs. World. The latter consists of vast areas specifically designed for battling over fortresses and towers. There, the game servers compete against each other.
Moreover, you will benefit from many quality of life changes that have been introduced in recent months. These include:
- Regular events that last for a week
- A major overhaul of the inventory
- Overhaul of the Glyph system
- The expansion of cooking to level 500
Veterans also benefit from the free expansion
What do veterans gain from the changes? The developers give players who have owned Heart of Thorns for a while:
- The title “Forerunner”
- A special Mordrem glider
- A skin from the shop, although the selection is quite limited.
Furthermore, unlocking Heart of Thorns allows for many new design decisions. Previously, players had to go back to the base areas of GW2 for new collections, as everyone has them.
Now such collections could also lead into the areas of the first expansion.
Additionally, Gliding or Jumping Mushrooms could now receive more attention in future episodes of the Living World, as every player can unlock them.
What’s the mood in the game? Currently, there is some unrest in the community because ArenaNet set expectations too high with the last announcement. Additionally, players miss direct communication with the developers.
Don’t let this discourage you, as there are many friendly and helpful players in-game who will make your entry as easy as possible.
The new Icebrood Saga starts soon. How well do you know the lore? Test your knowledge here:
