Guild Wars 2 was the first ever MMORPG I ever picked up. Nope, it wasn’t World of Warcraft, or even Final Fantasy 14 – it was good ol’ Guild Wars. Over the years I’ve dropped in and out of Tyria, with my End of Dragons review ranking high on the list of ‘favorite reviews I’ve ever written.’ With each new expansion, I discover my love for ArenaNet’s classic MMORPG all over again, and given GW2 Janthir Wilds just dropped, I can already feel that oh-so-familiar itch.
In the wake of End of Dragons, ArenaNet confirmed that it would be increasing the release cadence of Guild Wars 2‘s expansion releases. Secrets of the Obscure subsequently dropped in August 2023, and the MMORPG‘s fifth grassland-themed expansion, Janthir Wilds, was announced with SoO’s launch. Almost exactly a year to the day, Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds is officially out in the world.
The headline feature is, of course, the addition of player housing. Popularized by competitors like The Elder Scrolls Online and Final Fantasy 14, player housing is something that both Guild Wars 2 and World of Warcraft have been sorely missing. While the latter is yet to really discuss adding the feature, Janthir Wilds finally brings it to GW2.
You’ll be allocated your own little slice of land and left to build to your heart’s content. There’s a mount stable, a special room that your alt account characters can chill in while waiting to go off adventuring, as well as improvements to resource gathering. There are over 300 decorative items, too, with more to follow in subsequent patches.
But that’s not all that’s new. For the first time since the game’s release, all player classes are getting access to a new weapon type – the spear. Depending on your profession, you’ll either be able to throw it or use it as a heavy-hitting melee sweeper. We’ll also get the game’s first raid since 2019, but that’s coming a little further down the line in November.
There’s also a new 50-player world boss, and Secrets of the Obscure’s absolutely huge Convergences are making a comeback. Warclaws have also received a huge overhaul, granting them new traversal abilities – they don’t take fall damage, for example; not bad at all.
Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds drops today, Tuesday August 20. The standard edition retails for $24.99 / £21.99, with higher tier editions available if you fancy splashing the cash.
If, however, you’re looking for a new, massive adventure, we have a list free MMORPGs for your perusal. Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a little smaller but equally as fantastical, we have a rundown of all the best fantasy games, too.
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