It looks like Guild Wars 2 could see more paid expansions in its future. Developer ArenaNet has revealed that it’s aware fans of the MMO are keen to see another expansion arrive – and that it isn’t “ruling it out.”
In an interview at PAX West, Guild Wars 2 game director, Mike Zadorojny, talked about whether the path forward for the game is free content rather than paid expansions. On the topic, he said “I don’t think we have an answer for that one yet. For us, at least today, we know that with the stuff that we want to give – the quality of life improvements, the story we’re trying to tell – Icebrood Saga is the best way we can deliver free content to our players.”
Zadorojny continued, saying “now, whether or not we change that method moving forward, we’ll have a different conversation at that point.” PR manager Justin Fassino then added “I think the important thing here, obviously, is that everyone at the studio knows that there’s a demand for an expansion. So it’s not like we’re ruling it out.”
This follows the announcement of the next Guild Wars 2 Living World story, The Icebrood Saga, which arrives later this month. As Living World content, it will be narrative-focussed, and while it will introduce a whole new story, plus some new features like ten-player boss fights called Strike Missions, bosses, and Masteries, it appears that some of the game’s fans are expressing their preference for big expansions and the type of content they bring.
This is reflected in comments on a recent Guild Wars 2 Reddit “megathread” on “Living World announcement feedback” in which some users voice their hopes that more expansions, or “expansion-level” content, including things like new gameplay features and mechanics will head to the game.
The last big Guild Wars 2 expansion was Path of Fire, which was released in 2017, and brought a new foe for you to tackle – Balthazar, the rogue god of war – to the game. While it doesn’t sound like another expansion is currently in the works, some fans might be pleased to hear that it hasn’t been ruled out.