Players have been hoping for the Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons DLC since the expansion released. As ArenaNet prepares the next chapter of one of the best MMORPGs, the series’ game director has revealed that something is coming – and we may well recognise it.
As we said in our Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons review, the future for ArenaNet’s classic MMORPG looks bright. With the current story arc at an end, and a Steam release on the horizon, Guild Wars 2 is celebrating its tenth anniversary in style.
With a fourth expansion already on the cards following EoD’s success, all eyes look to what the future will bring. As we delve into the past with the re-release of Living World Season 1 and bring the decade-long story to a close, the Steam release represents something new for not just the players, but the developer itself.
Game director Josh Davis spoke to PCGamesN about what the future looks like for Guild Wars 2 – and, spoiler alert, it includes a lot more jade.
When I popped the big question (why release on Steam now?) Davis states “the timing feels right. Our latest expansion, End of Dragons, released back in February and brought an end to a story that we’ve been telling for the last 10 years.”
He also comments “you only get one chance to make a first impression,” which seems somewhat odd given the game’s lifespan. “There are 10 years of improvements and innovations that make the game what it is today. This is the best Guild Wars 2 has ever been and I hope
that players coming to the game for the first time on Steam find that it was worth the wait.”
It’s what the future holds for Tyria that has the devs hyped, though. “For the first time in the game’s history, we can take the story in an entirely new direction. It’s incredibly liberating. We’re getting ready to embark on a new adventure – in Tyria and as a dev team – and it seems like the perfect time to bring some new friends along for the ride.”
“In the near-term, we have the next episode of the return of Living World Season 1 releasing on September 13, and the finale will follow before the end of the year,” Davis states.
“Shortly after that, players can expect to return to the continent of Cantha, which was reintroduced in End of Dragons, to unravel a mystery and explore a new Canthan location (new for Guild Wars 2, that is…). We’re working on updates for the World vs World game mode, skill balance updates, and Halloween is just around the corner, too.”
That little segment in brackets is ominous, indeed. Cantha, after all, appeared in Guild Wars: Factions, so we may be exploring some new, yet familiar locations.
“We’ve also started work on our fourth expansion, though we’re not ready to reveal any information about that quite yet. There are still so many stories to tell and places left to explore in Guild Wars 2!”
As we look to the future with bated breath, be sure to check out our list of the best dragon games on PC, to tide you over.