End of Dragons is the priority

Earlier this year, we were given a teaser taste of Guild Wars 2's next expansion: which would later come to be known as End of Dragons.

But while we waited for the next chapter of the Guild Wars saga to begin, ArenaNet dished out some juicy news that the game was coming to Steam (sans account transfers). Well, that plan is changing, at least temporarily. According to a short post from ArenaNet, the company has made the decision to "put the Guild Wars 2 Steam release on hold for the time being."

The reason given? Their "number one priority" is focusing on the End of Dragons expansion and the "epic climax" to the current storyline, to deliver "high quality" content. In fact, the first major look at the ??upcoming Icebrood Saga conclusion is coming this week on November 5.

For those of you who don't play Guild Wars 2, the idea is that the game is part of a "living" world, where storyline changes can come through major or minor patches. Although other MMOs like World of Warcraft have "pre-patches" and the like to facilitate similar story arcs, Guild Wars 2 is built around its narrative at its core.

While it's a bummer that the game isn't coming to Steam anytime soon, I'm sure veterans don't mind as they can't transfer t??heir accounts anyway.

Guild Wars 2 Steam Release News [ArenaNet]

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There's no way to convert a GW2 account to a Steam account

Eight years later, Guild Wars 2 is finally coming to Steam. Out of nowhere. ArenaNet also shared a vibrant teaser trailer for the 2021 expansion End of Dragons that references Cantha and Kuunavang.

The subscription-less MMO will be playable on Steam starting in November – who knew the day would ever come??? – but there's a big caveat: curren??t player accounts "cannot be accessed via Steam."

In other words, the Steam edition of Guild Wars 2 will?? have "the same maps and servers," and "everyone plays together," but accounts won't be able to transfer over from the ArenaNet launcher and vice-versa??.

With that in mind, the Steam release is about pulling in new audiences (or, I guess, bringing back lapsed fans who dropped the game years ago and wouldn't necessarily mind starting fresh on Steam along with their buddies). It's wild to think that I was into Guild Wars 2 way back when. I can't i??magine returning – MMOs aren't compatible with my day-to-day in 2020 &ndas??h; but plenty of people will dig it.

Your First Look at Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons [ArenaNet] [Thanks, elric6]

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'A glimpse at the distant future'

It's kind of incredible that Guild Wars 2 has lasted this long.

It turns eight years old this August, and ArenaNet, for the most part, has been a pretty good steward of the game.  In all that time it's only hosted two expansions (Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire): otherwise, it's been propelled by its "Living World" seasonal concept that was way ahea??d of ?the curve of many others games at the time. Now it's gearing up for another era of the game.

On the official site, the team puts it plainly: "Development is underway on a third Guild Wars 2 expansion." There you have it. Although it's "too soon" to mention any specific details about pretty much anything (even the timeline), they did give us a "piece of early concept art," and the pagodas and cherry blossoms are a dead giveaway that Guild Wars 2 is looking to the east in the future.

Although things are a bit uncertain right now (and ArenaNet is centered in Seattle, where Washington state was hit pretty hard by COVID-19), expansions typically release with a two- to three-year cadence (2015, 2017). Guild Wars 2 is due? for one, but we c?ould be waiting until 2021 for it.

A Glimpse of the Distant Future [Guild Wars 2]

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Tons of content for your gaming bucks

In the world of long-running MMO, Guild Wars 2 is slowly chugging on, with constant content additions and a steady player base. For this Black Friday season, they are once again offering most of their titles at 50% off. Until December 5, you can pick up a number of Guild Wars 2 titles at 50% off. Prices are starting from $14.99 for the latest Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire expansion, to $24.99 for the entire collection with Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire. Just make sure you use coupon code BlackFriday50 during checkout.

If you've never tried Guild Wars 2 before - the game is free and essentially offers tons of content (minus those from the two expansions) free up to a certain level and given the promotion is running for almost two weeks - that should be plenty of time for you to make up your mind on the game. You can set up an account here and download the client to get started.

Guild Wars 2 Black Friday Deals

Use promo code: BlackFriday50

• Guild Wars 2: Path Of Fire — $14.99  (list price $30)
• Guild Wars 2: Heart Of Thorns + Path Of Fire — $24.99  (list price $50)
• Guild Wars 2: Path Of Fire Deluxe — $27.49  (list price $55)

To apply the discount, simply add either of these titles listed above to your cart at checkout and look for the "Apply a promo code" link in the bottom right of the checkout basket. Note that while Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire - Ultimate is available, this 50% off code won't work on the pr?icey $79.99 premium edition.

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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New expansion looks hot!

Guild Wars 2 is looking set to expand, soon, with the recently announced Path of Fire. The newest add-on will be releasing on September 22 and will bring players back to one of the lands from the original Guild Wars, The Crystal Desert. The main goal of this latest adventure will be to track down the rogue god Balthazar, which just makes me think we'll be living out an episode of Futurama in a fantasy setting.

If you pre-order the expansion now (and have an account in good standing), you'll be granted access to a preview weekend set for August 11?? - 13. This preview will allow you begin your journey and experience the new Raptor mount, which sounds awesome. Pre-ordering will also net you some goodies in the fo?rm of a miniature, a title and a weapon skin. All users will receive a free level boost upon buying the game, bringing one character to level 80 immediately.

As for how big this expansion will be, there are no specifics, but A??renaNet president and co-founder Mike O'Brien is quoted as saying, "This new expansion is all about content. An epic story, five immense new open-world zones, mounts that allow you to move through Tyria in all-new ways, and nine new elite specializations." Sounds chock full of goodness.

As big of a fan as I was of the first Guild Wars, I completely missed the boat on the sequel. I suppose I could just jump in now and start questing, but I always feel daunted by the vast amount of content MMO's amass over the years. The idea of returning to World of Warcraft, for example, fil??ls me w?ith an overwhelming sense of dread.

Either way, Path of Fire does seem ??suitably epic and I'm sure it will be a big treat for fans.

The post Get ready to walk ?the Path of Fire in Guild Wars 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

It's not too late to get in

With a brand new season releasing next week (re: lots more content), ArenaNet's Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is having another week-long sale to draw in new players.

Both editions of the gam??e are on sale for 50% off, wit??h the Standard Edition priced at $24.99, and the Deluxe Edition coming in at $37.49. The game is on sale from today until February 8 at 11:59pm Pacific.

A?? max-level boost to level 80 is included in both ??editions so you won't have to start from zero to get in on the action. The new episode/season arrives on February 7.

Guild Wars 2 Sale

• Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns — $24.99  (list price $50)
• Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns Deluxe Edition — $37.49  (list price $75)

Update: Comments have correctly noted that this is the latest episode and not the latest "season". Chapter 4 of season 3, dubbed "The Head of the Snake." Sorry for the goof!

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Get ye diapers ready

The holidays approach and sales are spreading through the Internet, and they have now reached the popular MMO from ArenaNet, Guild Wars 2. For one week, the first expansion to the game, Heart of Thorns, reaches a historic low price of $24.99. That's a big 50% discount.

The sale is, of course, timed with the latest third episode of Living World Season 3 arriving next week, November 21 (you can check out the teaser trailer here). Now free to p??lay, picking up the expansion grants you full access to the world of Tyria and unlocks many more features, in?cluding the "max-level boost" which brings one of your characters to level 80.

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns Sale

• Guild Wars 2: Heart Of Thorns Deluxe Edition — $37.49  (list price $75)
• Guild Wars 2: Heart Of Thorns — $24.99  (list price $50)

The? Deluxe Edition of the game should only be reserved for big fans of the series, as the extra $13.50 price tag will only bring you additional goodies in the fo??rm of in-game items, pet, and gears.

The sale?? runs from November 15 through November 22, 2016 at 11:59pm Pacific.

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But if you want more, it's there

My experience with Guild Wars 2 has been very similar to a lot of people I've met over the years. We all agree it's a wonderful, beautiful take on MMOs, and delivers on its promise of a subscription-free game. But at the same time, we often find ourselves gravitating towards other games every few months on a more consistent basis, like Final Fantasy XIV.

Guild Wars 2 is a massive success for ArenaNet, who is always listening to its fanbase for adjustments and the like, but it doesn't offer up a lot of endgame activities or structures that hardcore MMO fans are usually accustomed to. The developer's recent Heart of Thorns expansion is basically more of the same, whic??h is either a good or a bad thing depending on your initial experience.

Heart of Thorns is, first and foremost, a massive collective of content updates for $50. It takes place across four new zones, which may not sound like much -- unless you account for the fact that they're tiered. The concept works far better than it sounds, as the massive canopies make for a unique setting that hasn't been done all that often in the MMO space. It's also visually more imp??ressive than any region in the base game, and contains more lore than any one person can ever handle.

I had a chance to speak to ArenaNet's Loremaster and Writer Jeff Grub years back, and his enthusiasm for every pore of the Guild Wars lore was palpable. That passion is present in Heart of Thorns just as much as it was in the base game. The story is markedly better than it was in the past. The stakes feel high, the world is constantly out to get you (which is represented by the creepy forest feel of the new areas), and the entire presentation has been improved. Cutscenes don't feel cheap and tacked on, brin?ging you further into the game's world.

It's important to note though, there's no new level cap -- it's still at 80. Instead, "masteries" have replaced the level extension, and it's a system that ArenaNet is interested in expanding upon going forward. They amount to new abilities and skill trees?? that players can pick from, including powers like gliding and environmental interaction. But just because ArenaNet has re-labeled late-game leveli?ng in this manner doesn't mean you're free of grinding. To obtain every mastery, you'll essentially have to level up from 1-80 multiple times over. Depending on who you ask, this is either an excessive amount of grinding, or a way to keep players engaged. I'm somewhere in the middle, partially because the effect is account-wide -- it actively benefits players with multiple characters.

I also created a Revanant, the newest class in the expansion. It might be my favorite character yet, as I dig the necessity between switching styles, and utilizing offensive and defensive abilities on a whim. Thankfully, every existing class also sports a new specialization, which expands everyone's abilities, and results in cool loadouts like casters using Greatswords. Vanilla Guild Wars 2 already had a fantastic open class system, and this just makes it even more approachable. There is no "wrong" choice when it comes to creation, basically,?? and even less of a need to re-roll a character.

For the most part, Guild Wars 2 continues ?excelling as a PVE game. It's as easy as ever to walk out into the open world, do a few quests with strangers without even grouping, and participate in open events against world bosses. It's awesome, and is easily the best public questing has ever been handled to date in an MMO. Guild Halls help accentuate that community feel, and if you're into RPing or casual play, helping your teammates build and upgrade your hall results in a massive sense of accomplishment. But once you've obtaine?d all the masteries you want and start seeing the same old content, you hit a wall -- the lingering need for more endgame.

There is one way ArenaNet is planning on satiating the hardcore crowd, though -- proper [10-person] raids. The Spirit Vale is set to drop next week on November 17, which is the first of three planned wings. While the jury is still out on that aspect of the game, Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is a pretty fantastic expansion all told, and you don't have a lo?t to lose checking it out at some point without a s?ubscription fee.

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Do we make you thorny, baby?

Yo, check this out. Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns came out last Friday and I got ten codes for it. I bet that??'s more than you have. Lucky? for you, I'm a super nice guy.

Her?e's the deal: Arena.net gave codes to Amazon who gave codes to us who are going to give codes to you fine folks. That's a lot of dirty hands these have gone through. You should probably wash your hands frequently, especially since it's almost flu season and you might be dealing with a bunch of filthy codes. And, have you gotten your flu shot yet? Don't make me call you every day to check up. Just do it. I have important shit to do; I don't need to worry about keeping you alive.

The breakdown here is a stockpile of five standard digital copies and five deluxe digital copies. They go for $50 and $75, respectively. Here are the Amazon links in case you'd rather not take your chances and go whole hog into the thorns right now (standard, digital).

For everyone else, you show great patience. Good. That was the first part of the test. You passed. The second and final part is to leave a comment telling us what makes you thorny. If you don't want to do th?at, draw a picture of a Destructoid staffer in a thorny situation. Maybe Chris getting slapped by the Homecoming Queen and her bouquet of roses. You get the idea.

Mike Martin's in charge of picking the winners. You have to impress him, not me. Flatter him. Bribe him. Send him a cheese platter. Put a severed horse's head in his bed (he likes that.) In a few days, he'll let you know if you're ?one of the chosen ten. May the force be with you, or whatever we're saying this week.

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns (Standard, Digital) [Amazon]

The post Who wants a? free copy of Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns? appeared first on Destructoid.

First big discount on Heart of Thorns

We're less than a month away from the release of Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns and while $49.99 has held its ground till now, the first major pre-order price drop has occurred. FunStock Digital recently dropped the game to $42.42 on their site (price when converted to USD). Stack a 25% off coupon code and you'll further gut the price to only $31.82. This is the best price we've seen thus far. Pre-or??der bonus includes all?? beta access + in-game title.

If you're not willing to wait for a pre-order there's plenty of RPG instant gratification available this weekend in deals, most notably at Amazon on South Park: The Stick of Truth. Just yesterday they dropped the price to only $10 - a new low for the zesty game.

There are a ton of other good deals this weekend, but one sale that's worthy of mention is GMG's Rockstar Games Sale. The sale was launched earlier this week with instant savings up to 83% off and a stacking 20% off coupon to boot. This weekend it got better with a new 23% off code, making Grand Theft Auto V at historic low price.

Top Deals

Use code: SEP-COUPMAIL-PRE25

• Guild Wars 2: Heart Of Thorns — $31.82  (list price $50) <- not available anymore
• Might & Magic Heroes VII (Uplay) — $33.10  (list price $61)

Use code: 23PERC-AUTUMN-SAVING

• Grand Ages: Medieval (Steam) — $29.10  (list price $40)
• Cities: Skylines After Dark — $11.55  (list price $15)
• Tales of Zestiria (Steam) — $38.50  (list price $50) <- no pre-order bonus FYI
• South Park: The Stick of Truth (Steam) — $10  (list price $40)

Console Hardware Deals

• Playstation 4 Destiny: The Taken King Bundle — $379.99  (list price $400)
• Xbox One 1TB Console Halo: MCC Bundle — $359.99  (list price $400)
• Wii U Console 32GB Deluxe Set + Mario Kart 8 — $279.99  (list price $300)

GMG Rockstar Games Sale

Use code: 23PERC-AUTUMN-SAVING

• Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar DRM) — $36.96  (list price $60)
• Max Payne Complete (Steam) — $8.47  (list price $55)
• Grand Theft Auto Complete Package (Steam) — $7.70  (list price $50)
• Max Payne 3 Complete (Steam) — $5.39  (list price $35)
• L.A. Noire Complete Edition (Steam) — $4.62  (list price $30)
• Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition (Steam) — $4.62  (list price $30)
• Bully: Scholarship Edition (Steam) — $2.88  (list price $15)
• Manhunt (Steam) — $1.92  (list price $10)

Recent Releases

• 09/24: Jagged Alliance Online: Reloaded (Steam) — $6.54  (list price $10)
• 09/22: FIFA 16 (Xbox One, PS4) — $49.99  (list price $60)
• 09/22: FIFA 16 (Origin) — $46.20  (list price $60)
• 09/22: Blood Bowl 2 (Steam) — $33.29  (list price $45)
• 09/22: Penarium (Steam) — $7.70  (list price $10)
• 09/16: Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 (Steam) — $34.95  (list price $50)
• 09/15: Xbox One FIFA 16 1TB Bundle + 1 yr EA Access — $359.99  (list $399)
• 09/01: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Steam) — $45  (list price $60)

Upcoming Releases

Yep, a crapload coming out.

• 09/30: The Escapists: The Walking Dead (Steam) — $12.47  (list price $18)
• 10/01: Lost Horizon 2 (Steam) — $29.56  (list price $40)
• 10/06: Rock Band 4 Legacy Game Controller Adapter (XOne) — $9.99  (list $25)
• 10/20: Sword Coast Legends (Steam) — $26.79  (list price $40)
• 11/03: Anno 2205 (Uplay) — $40.69  (list price $60)
• 11/10: Fallout 4 (Steam) — $44.57  (list price $60)
• 11/19: Assassin's Creed Syndicate (Uplay) — $40.81  (list price $60)
• 11/26: Trackmania Turbo (Uplay) — $27.20  (list price $40)
• 12/01: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (Uplay) — $40.18  (list price $76)
• 12/08: Hitman (Steam) — $46.20  (list price $60)
• 02/05: XCOM 2 (Steam) — $33.88  (list price $60)
• 03/08: Tom Clancy's The Division (Uplay) — $41.01  (list price $60)

Dell eGift Card Deals

• 10/09: Chibi-Robo Zip Lash + $25 eGift Card (3DS) — $29.99 
• 10/15: The Legend of Zelda Tri Force Heroes + $2?5 eGift?? Card (3DS) — $39.99
• 10/27: Civ: Beyond Earth Rising Tide + $25 eGift Card (Steam) — $29.99
• 11/06: Call of Duty: Black Ops III + $25 eGift Card (PS4, Xbox One) — $59.99
• 11/17: Star Wars: Battlefront + $25 eGift Card (PS4, Xbox One) — $59.99

PC Game Deals

• Elite: Dangerous (Steam) — $26.99  (list price $45)
• Fallout 4: Season Pass (Steam) — $23.10  (list price $30)
• Mad Max — $22.34  (list price $60)
• Battlefield: Hardline (PC DVD) — $19.99  (list price $30)
• Cities: Skylines (Steam) — $15.07  (list price $30)
• Hatred (Steam) — $12.99  (list price $20)
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (Steam) — $10  (list price $40)
• Metro Redux Bundle (Steam) — $8.99  (list price $50)
• System Shock: Enhanced Edition (DRM-Free) — $7.99  (list price $10)
• Castlevania: Lord of the Shadows Ult Ed. (Steam) — $7.50  (list price $30)

Console Game Deals

• Super Smash Bros. (Wii U) — $46  (list price $60)
• Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4) — $38.99  (list price $60)
• Mario Party: Island Tour (3DS) — $19.96  (list price $40)
• Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U) — $18.15  (list price $40)
• $15 Xbox Gift Card (Digital Code) — $12  (list price $15)
• The Last of Us (PS3 DL) — $10  (list price $20)
• The Wolf Among Us (PS4, XOne, 360, PS3) — $9.99  (list price $20)
• Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Wii U) — $5.36  (list price $30)

Laptop Deals

• 15.6" Lenovo Y50, i7-4720HQ, 16?GB, GTX 960M, 1080p — $1,099  (list $1,600)
• 13.3" MacBook Pro, i5-5257U, 8GB, 128GB SSD — $1,079.99  (list price $1,299)
• 15.6" Toshiba Radius, i7-5500U, 8GB, 2160p Touch — $849.99  (list price $1,050)
• 15.6" Lenovo Flex 3, i5-5200U, 8GB, 1080p, Win 10 — $639  (list price $900)

HDTV Deals

• 55" Samsung 120Hz 1080p Smart HDTV — $599.99  (list price $1,600)
• 49" Vizio 2160p 4K Ultra HD Smart TV — $589.99  (list price $749)
• 50" Samsung 1080p 120hz Smart HDTV — $499.99  (list price $1,100)
• 58" Seiki 1080p 120Hz HDTV — $399.99  (list price $800)
• 49" Sceptre 2160p 4K Ultra HDTV — $369.99  (list price $800)
• 39" Seiki 2160p 4K Ultra HDTV — $279.99  (list price $700)

The post GW Heart of Thorns rolling to $31, Tale??s of Zestiria to $38 in Weekend Deals appeared first on Destructoid.

'Guild Halls' feature detailed

Live from E3 at the PC Gaming Show, ArenaNet's Colin Johanson shed some light on the previously announced Guild Halls feature for the upcoming Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns exp??ansion. You'll be able to decorate your massive hall, which serves as a social space, as well as fight in your own personal arena, and organize adve??ntures.

They're described as an "entire map," and players will capture that area for their guild within the core campaign, taking it back from the main adversary of the expansion. It will also feature world leaderboards to pit guilds against one a?nother. This sounds like a really cool addition for people who are really into social spots in MMOs.

Pre-sales are opening up right now at GuildWars2.com, and will guarantee you beta access.

The post Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns up for?? pre-order now, grant??s beta access appeared first on Destructoid.

One of nine specializations

Guild Wars 2 is gearing up to deliver nine elite specializations in the Heart of Thorns expansion, which will fundamentally change-up your class. The Reaper will switch up Necromancers entirely, allowing t?hem to ?use greatswords to enter combat as melee participants, with all of the dark goodness they can normally expect from spellcasting.

Just like the video for the Dragonhunter, it's a short, low-key demonst?ration of what the Reaper can do in-game. Except this time, the Reaper looks incredibly badass.

Meet the Reaper, the Necromancer's Elite Speciali??zation [Guild Wars 2]

The post Guild Wars 2’s Necromancer can become a ‘Reaper’ in the expansion appeared first on Destructoid.

For the Guardian class

ArenaNet is still working tirelessly on the Heart of Thorns expansion for Guild Wars 2, and ????it's ready to reveal another upcoming specialization (one of nine) -- the Dragonhunter. It's a ranged combat specialist that also excels at support, which will augment the Guardian's already massive repertoire of useful skills.

The new "Wings of Resolve" ability sounds particularly amazing, which allows you to grow wings of light and jump into the battlefield, providing heals to friends or damage t?o foes on impact. As a Guardian player I'm more than willing to give this a shot.

Meet the?? Dragonhunter: Guardian’s Elite Specialization [Guild Wars 2]

The post ArenaNet reveals ‘Dragonhunter’ specialization for Guild Wars 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

I just wanted an excuse to show off my hot Norn guy

Want in on the beta for the Guild Wars 2 expansion, Heart of Thorns? Well now you can go and try to farm your way in (this is an MMO after all, gotta have that farming), as access to the next PvE closed event will be? given through item drops.

If you venture out to the Dry Top and the Silverwastes, not only will you probably find them disgustingly crowded, but enemies might drop portals which grant you access. They’re untradeable, so every poor sod who wants in will have to go there and find one themselves. Once you’ve picked it up you’ll be granted access even if you then go and ?lose it.

There's no confirmed date for the beta yet, but once you've got the item as lon??g as you're also subscribed to their newsletter you will be contacted about it.

The post Guild Wars ??2 is literally dropping its expansion beta on you appeared first on Destructoid.

PVP only right now

Guild Wars 2's Heart of Thorns expansion is shaping up to be a great addition to the game, and soon, you'll be able to experience part of it ahead of schedule. Developer ArenaNet has announced that they will be holding? a public beta for the Stronghold PVP mode, open for 24 hours on April 14 at noon, PST.

On April 10 the developer will hold a "boot camp" stream so you can learn the ins and outs of the mode. You can also get a rundown of what to expect in our preview. Finally, Guild Wars 2 is going on sale again this weekend from 10AM PST on April 10 until midnight PS?T on April 13.

The post ArenaNet to hold a public beta for Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns’ Stronghold mode appeared first on Destructoid.

Good

Blizzard did a great job with its streaming game hub, allowing players to jump into titles while they were downloading. Every feature?? may not be available and it might not look the best, but during particularly slow download sessions it was nice to not wait hours on end to actually get in and play the game you paid for.

ArenaNet is following suit soon with the beta version of their streaming client for Guild Wars 2, set to arrive in the near future in North America and Europe. In essence, you'll have a progress bar, sa?me as always, but once it reaches a certain point you can start playing early.

Streaming options will also be available ??for fans who have ISP cap issues or slower connections.

Coming Soon: Beta Version of Streaming Client [Guild Wars 2]

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An interview with lead designer Colin Johanson

Guild Wars 2 is one of the most accessible MMOs ever made. Eschewing the Holy Trinity of class builds, you can basically pick any character you want and still fulfill ?a role in any group. Everyone can heal, and eve??ryone can contribute in some way.

As a result of that design however, a lot of opportunities for advanced tactics fell by the wayside, and the endgame was too simplistic to keep everyone interested. Can the upcoming Heart of Thorns expansion rectify that problem?

I had some time to talk to lead de???signer Colin Johanson and figure out just that.

So how exactly do you tackle an MMO expansion? For the most part, developers will put a new level cap in place, and immediately make your old gear irrelevant within the first few quests. It's a traditional system that isn't inherently flawed for the right type of gamer, but ArenaNet is trying something different with the Masteries system in Heart of Thorns.

I asked Johanson how they plan to keep people interested for longer periods of time. With a level cap that's a firm goal to reach for, but how is Guild Wars 2 going to entice players to get every Mastery? He responded with, "Well there's a lot of variety here. Combat masteries are needed for certain big bosses, like one foe that has thick bark -- you'll need one special ability to strip the bark, otherwise you'll have to run for your life. There's a lot of combat abilities peppered about, which will drive players alone. For the most part the story is not gated, bu????t other parts will be."

Going on, he noted that "We'll also be adding more Masteries and points. The system is not a one-off in the expansion. This is the message to players that this is the new system going forward as we build and progress the game. We'll continue to add more challenging content and new Masteries for players to play with. Each of these systems ?we picked is how we plan to build and grow the game in the future."

Johanson was excited to talk about what influenced this system, stating, "We noted that this took a lot of progression from other franchises. In fact, the traversal systems like gliding are like Metroid and Zelda slammed ??together. Some day you?'ll be able to come back and do other things, like bounce up on a certain mushroom and go up into certain treetop areas.

So how are they tackling exploration? Will players want to go to places other than the expansion? "We don't want to have empty, barren areas like other MMOs," he responded. "We want people to ??go back to everywhere in the game.?? We want strong core areas with lots of fun things to do. Inherently, there will be more people to play with in those areas, which is what MMOs are all about. So we want to make less areas and create more focused experiences."

Johanson was mum about discussing dungeon or raid content, as nothing has been announced yet. But when coaxed, he stated, "Yeah, we're looking at all of that. Especially with raid content. We very clearly heard that people think we have a very fun combat system. Minute-to-minute it's exciting, but there are not enough creatures in the game that force you to use that whole skill bar or take advantage of that combat system. PVP has that, but if you love PVE you don't really get to experience that in the core game. So we're addressing that in Heart of Thorns. But that is all I can say today."

I also asked how they plan on getting players to level 80, since you need to max out to play the new Heart of Thorns content: "We haven't discussed anything specific as to how we're going to help new players. Tying in to a previous point there's a compelling reason to go back to? old content. With our sidekicking system you can also go back and play with lower-level players. In other words, there will always be people to? play with. I think the jungle as a goal will be a great thing for people to work towards. We do have a lot of account-based systems, so we think it's okay to ask people to go back and level-up new characters."

I also touched on the concept of the Revenant, noting that there's a propensity to claim that new classes are overpowered to entice players to level-up new characters and keep playing -- so I asked how they plan to balance it head-on. "I love that question! Even before we showed it people on our fan forums said it was overpowered which is amazingly funny. I think it's balanced because it has a balanced armor rating and balanced range. It has a lot of movement in combat, but outside of combat it has a tough time getting between battles. One of the things you can d?o to counter the Revenant is outrange it. It doesn't have a lot of blocks or counters. It can also be interrupted. It also has to control its energy bar constantly, which limits its skills despite the fact that it has more skills than most professions."

I tried to get in a secret announcement for a new race, but had no such luck: "We looked at races but they don't really have a huge point in Guild Wars 2 from a gameplay standpoint?. The content needs are much tougher, like more starting zones and voice-work. That doesn't give us a lot of content for the time we put in. There's some ones? our fans would love to see, but I don't think that adds much gameplay-wise."

Switching gears to PVP, I asked about the MOBA influences that the new Stronghold mode wore on its sleeve. Johanson was enthusiastically stated "Yeah! MOBAs and Dota-lites definitely were influences. Fort Aspenwood in Guild Wars provided some inspir?ation. We tried to take all of those th?ings and put our own unique twist on it."

When asked if there will be any disparity between World vs. World and Stronghold modes in terms of rewards, Johanson replied, "No, we're aiming to really strike the balance between the two. It will really depend on your personal skill level. For instance if you find a great guil?d for World vs. World, you'll likely reap more benefits than Stronghold. World vs. World has its own progression system, so there's that to keep into account."

I continued to press PVP, asking if ArenaNet was interested in more "micro" type PVP modes similar to League of Legends' Dominion, and Johanson was pretty excited at the strong reception to PVP so far. "Definitely. We're looking at more modes like Stronghold, where people have roles to play, where everyone can help their team win, but you can co??nstantly change roles. It has to be approachable. People in the office who didn't ev??en play PVP were into Stronghold, so that's something we're looking at."

All things said, I'm happy with the direction Guild Wars 2 is taking. Expect more coverage as Heart of Thorns as the year goes on.

_{[Both lunch and dinner were provided at the event in ArenaNet's offices in Bellevue, Washington.]}

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No new level cap, just 'Masteries'

Guild Wars 2 is an ambitious project. While ArenaNet's initial offering of Guild Wars was more of a social dungeon crawler than an MMO (the company called it a CORPG, or competitive online role-playing game), the? sequel was a bonafide massive experience.

The kicker? ArenaNet was still able to cut out the subscription fee, effectively making Guild Wars 2 buy-??to-play and allowing players to return at any time.

Here we are over two years later with the Heart of Thorns expansion on the horizon, and the developer continues to ??find way?s to innovate.

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns (PC)
Developer: ArenaNet
Publisher: NCsoft
Released: TBA 2015
MSRP: TBA

At ArenaNet's offices last week, I had the chance to get some hands-on time with the expansion, and I'm pleased with what I've seen so far. There's an all-new zone, a new "Masteries" leveling system, the Reve??nant class, and another PVP mode titled "Stronghold."

The heart and soul of the expansion is the Maguuma Jungle, an area that picks up mere "days" after the story in the original game. For those who aren't caught up, all of the combined armies in the land took off via airships to chase down the Elder Dragon Mordremoth, and the expedition ended in flames -- literally. The jungle came to life and tore the fleet apart, leaving most for dead. You'll start the Heart of Thorns ;content right after that, p??r?ovided you have a level 80 character. Yep, you'll need to be max level to stand a chance in the new zone.

Masteries are the new way ArenaNet is tackling progression, because there will not be a level cap increase. Instead, players will earn Mastery Points, which they can put into skills like additional creature languages, or more mobile skills like gliding or mushroom riding. For instance, I earned my first point at the start?? of the demo, and gained the power to use mushrooms as bounce pads to leap to new areas. Later on the tree may evolve to allow me to eat said mushrooms to gain a boost in speed, and so on.

ArenaNet co-founder and president Mike O'Brien states that this is the ideal way to tackle an expansion, because typically in MMOs you'll leave way too much behind. He elaborates on the concept, stating, "With a new level cap, you'll instantly find new gear and items to replace. Saying goodbye to the old and in with the new can be great, but players are often attached to their old conquests. We didn't want to invalidate that, so I'm really excited about Masteries. It?? pertains to jungle-specific progression, but you can still go back to the old world and have fun."

Masteries can be equipped to level them up individually, so if you're keen on becoming a better glider while roaming about the world, you can do that. Right now I'm excited for the concept, but I didn't see enough Masteries to convince me they will stay interes?ting for the long haul. When confronted about this, O'Brien noted that more Masteries will be added over time, which is great news.

You'll need those new powers to get around in the jungle, because based on the demo, the difficulty has been ramped up. According to O'Brien, the jungle is "really vertical, and not like any other area in the game. With the vertical se??tup we really have a way to build it unlike any zone before, allowing players to get into the depths of the game world into more frightening areas."

Lead designer Colin Johanson commented on the enhanced difficulty, stating, "playing with others is supposed to?? be fun. We're doubling down on that challenge in Heart of Thorns." I was able to see that in action with a wyvern mini-boss fight at the end of the demo, which required a decent amount of strategy and dodging typically not seen in other world events.

I was able to tackle that challenge head-on with the new Revenant class, which is basically an undead warrior of sorts. Classic Guild Wars fans will be excited to know that according to O'Brien, the developer is excited to "bring back old lore and mechanics that we weren't previously able to add to Guild Wars 2." He goes on to say that "it's different than the other eight professions in more ways than one" -- a?? statement that I can definitely agree with.

The Revenant has two different "states" -- one based on DPS (Demon), and the other, more tanky (Dwarf). You can instantly switch between them with a mouse click (or F1), which you'll need to do to maintain its energy levels to power its skills. The kicker? Both states do not share cooldowns, and it has two heals? between them. It was a rush to switch to the tank and lay down a buff shaped like a spiritual pathway, then switch back to lay down some damage.

Aesthetically, the profession looks unlike anything else in the game, with a very cool demonic feel complete with mist effects and a badass headband that extends over your eyes. It's easily my favorite class so far, and I will be leveling one as soon as Heart of Thorns hits. To alleviate any concerns, I do feel like the class is balanced -- and this is before users even give their feedback. Ri?ght now Rev??enants are scheduled to use the hammer, mace, and axe weapon types -- but Rytlock (an NPC) is wielding a sword, so we'll see.

PVP is also getting a lot more enticing in my mind with Stronghold. To be blunt, over time I lost interest in the massive World vs. World scheme in the original Guild Wars 2. It just became too much to keep track of, and often times I'd be running around without a ski??rmish in sight for up to 10 minutes. It wasn't action-packed enough, and Stronghold will fix that issue.

In short, it's a MOBA-like experience that aims to be 10-15 minutes in length. There are two teams that each have a lane with troops to go ?down, and a base at the end with a "Lord" to protect, who is behind two doors. If one team's Lord dies, it's game over. To facilitate your attack, you can embed yourself in random map events? like the acquisition of a hero character (which buffs you while you're in proximity to them), or grabbing "supply" materials to create archer or doorbreaker units.

Archers will help clear out the path to each door, and doorbreakers actually bust them down. Of course,?? players can attack either of them, and you'll definitely want to do so for the latter to prevent your Lord from becoming vulnerable. Because of the way it's set up, there's action at every turn. Whether? it's battling over supply or doing some actual laning work, the map is small enough where you'll always find someone to fight. I'm sold.

ArenaNet isn't done revealing what Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns will entail, but that's the gist of what you can expect. If you're interested in getting some hands-on time, the expansion will be available to play at PAX East. ArenaNet is also planning a number of different beta event?s just like the core game, so you'll have plenty of c??hances to try before you buy.

_{[Both lunch and dinner were provided at the event in ArenaNet's offices in Bellevue, Washington.]}

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Eat your heart out GTA

Typically, MMOs are third-person affairs and for?? good reason. Whenever you find yourself in any dangerous persistent world, you want a good idea of what's around you to have ??the best possible view of the battlefield.

Well, some aren't content with that. Some just want to have it all. And for those who want it all, ArenaNet has announced that Guild Wars 2 will be adding a first-person camera view on March 10. Players will be able to get a preview of this new visual mode on Friday during the studio's Ready Up livestream on Twitch.

Here's a breakdown of the changes happening ?in March according to ArenaNet:

• First-person Camera
  Zooming in all the way will allow players to experience a first-person view. First-person mode is available while standing in place, walking, running, jumping, playing PvP and just about anything else. There aren’t any restrictions on where first-person can be used.
• Field of View
  A much requested feature, the field of view slider is a setting that will allow players to adjust how much can be seen in the game world. Players can use a slider to shrink or enlarge the field of view.
• Position Slider
  The Position Slider has been split into two different options, horizontal position and vertical position. The horizontal position slider will offset the camera to the left and right. An ‘over-the-shoulder’ view can be created as well to keep the center of the screen clear. The vertical position sets the maximum height the camera can go when the camera is at maximum distance from a character. The actual camera height will adjust the more you zoom in to ensure that your character is always on the screen.
• Collision Sensitivity
  When enabled, this setting will adjust how much stuff (trees, walls, rocks, etc.) needs to be between a player’s character and camera before the camera snaps in.
• Character Height
  No matter the race or size, the camera will now focus on a character’s head. This is going to give norn players a relatively taller feeling than their asura-playing friends. This change might affect players who frequent jumping puzzles, so to counteract this, there is an adjust camera to character height toggle. When unchecked, the camera will move to a consistent position above the character’s feet, regardless of how big or small the character is.

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I've needed this for a while

Guild Wars 2&??nbsp;is a pret?ty great MMO. It's buy-to-play, which means you have to purchase the initial package first, then there's no subscription fees or nasty progression-hindering microtransactions. You buy the game, and it feels like a full game.

Over the past few years though I feel like I've done everything that interests me personally, so I'm glad that developer ArenaNet just announced the expansion Heart of Thorns, that will ?be playable at PAX East this year. It will take place in a jung??le-heavy realm, and will allow players to earn new skills, as well as access new "Specializations" that entail cool new abilities like hang gliding.

The main draw is the brand new storyl??ine, which will have players go up against the elder dragon Mordremoth. New maps, another competitive mode, Guild Halls?, and extra world events will also await.

Oh, and the base game is $10 temporarily.

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Your next MMO?

As a casual MMO player, I've always liked the Guild Wars series -- no monthly subscription fits my lifestyle, you know? I don't have to feel guilty about wasting money by not playing "enough," whatever that is. If you're of a similar mindset, this weekend's Guild Wars 2 sale is for you.

The game will be 75 percent off, which amounts to $9.99 for the Digital Heroic Edition. Worth it. Look for the deal to activate at 8:00am Pacific on January 24. You'll then have until 11:59pm Pacific on January 25 to make your purchase. And if you can finish downloading Guild Wars 2 in time, ArenaNet is also offering d??ouble experience points for all players this weekend?.

Also, with this bei??ng PAX South weekend, expect news on the possible expansion Heart of Thorns.

This Weekend: Guild Wars 2 at PAX South, an? Unprecedented Sale, and Double XP fo?r All [Guild Wars 2]

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September 25 - October 1

On Thursday, ArenaNet will kick off a week-long trial for Guild Wars 2. You'll be able to play the MMORPG for free fr?om 12:00am Pacific on September 25 until 11:59pm Pacific? on October 1.

Trial accounts can be opened ahead of time, so I'd suggest you go take care of that now to maximize your time. Note: there are some restrictions placed on trial players.

Just last week, community member Solar Pony Django put up a blog to generate interest in potentially starting a Destructoid guild. Take a look. Keep forgetting I own this game.

The Guil?d Wars 2 Free Trial Week begins September 25 [Guild Wars]

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China DO care, to the tune of almost 4 million

Guild Wars 2's Chinese publisher had the MMO at 760,000 players on launch day. Two months later, it's reporting 3.8 million Chinese players. Guild Wars 2's first y??ear sales, before the Chinese lau?nch, were at 3.5 million, so total sales are at least over 7 million. 

Not bad, not bad. 

[Via NeoGAF]

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Just pledge your allegiance for a chance to win

In one of the more spirited giveaways I've seen in recent years, NCSoft and ArenaNet are giving away 5,000 copies of Guild Wars 2 to ??folks willing to pledge their undying loyalty to the game on camera. 

For a chance to win a copy of the game's Heroic Edition, pledges will have to read the Guild Wars 2 Oath. The oath, which can be filled out Mad Libs sty?le, should allow for quite a few creative entries. Don't wait too long,?? as entry for the contest ends December 3 at 11:59 PST.

Those who are little camera shy, NCSoft is also offering both the Deluxe and Heroic edition of the game for 4?0% off till the end of ?the contest date.

So haven't taken the plunge into Guild Wars 2 yet? Really, what's wrong with you? Well in any case, a complete list of rules for the contest can be found here. 

Enter the Great Migration Contest [Guild Wars 2]

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MMO sales for the holidays!

If you have been looking to get into World of Warcraft or Guild Wars 2, here is your chance to get them for cheap. Battle.net just launched its black friday sales, with World of Warcraft for $4.99 and Mists of Pandaria for $9.99. The Battle.net sale also has StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm for $19.99 each.

If you're not interested in World of Warcraft, then you can pick up Guild Wars 2 for $29.99, instead of the normal price of $49.99. The deluxe edition is on sale too for $41.99??, if you want to get some extra goodies to play around with.

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Fastest-selling Western MMO, according to developer

With the one-year anniversary for Guild Wars 2 rapidly approaching, ArenaNet has plans to host a free trial weekend soon. That'll kick off on Friday, ?August 23 at 12:01am Pacific and carry through Sunday, August 25 at 11:59pm Pacific.

If my fondness of the game despite an inability to enjoy essentially all other MMORPGs is any indication, this will be worth taking a look at even if you aren't usually into these types of online experiences. Guild Wars 2 has done quite well for itself, with ArenaNet claiming it to be the fastest-selling Western MMO thanks to three million sales in its fi??rst nine months.

Granted, there's no? monthly subscription, and that's definitely a factor -- but I'm not about to h?old that against the game.

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ArenaNet wants to support passionate player base

While I have only the vaguest memories of playing Guild Wars, it was one of the rare few MMORPGs to grab hold of me and obliterate whole summers. What I do recall is a general feeling of nostalgia, though I'm sure it would be tough for me to go back in this day and age. For those of you who didn't permanently leave the game, rest easy knowing you're in good hands.

On the subject of whether or not ArenaNet will shut down the game's servers, a move that would be disappointing but far from unheard of, lead content designer Mike Zadorojny told Eurogamer "Oh absolutely not. The game itself was so efficient on the server side in terms of the resources, like, it runs on a fraction of the hardware that we need for running Guild Wars 2, so having that on the back-burner is nothing compared to GW2."

"There's still a community there that's really passionate and really thriving in there, so we want to support them as best we can," he continued. "We've been doing a lot of automation support so that the game itself could last forever, even without anybody really touching it. They're not necessarily making new content right now but there is a team that is monitoring if there are massive issues they're taken care of, and they're supporting them." These guys right here.

ArenaNet: Guild Wars 1 "could last forever" [Eurogamer]

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How Bazaar! How Bazaar!

Time to dust off that Tyrian merchant hat and polish up all of your excess junk that you don't want -- I mean, quality product that you would hate to part with -- because the Bazaar of the Four Winds content for Guild Wars 2 has been released.

In this late?st content update, players will have the chance to explore the Zephyr Sanctum, a large air??ship populated by the very entrepreneurial and resourceful Zephyrites. Along with their other fine wares, the Zephyrites have also brought their magic crystals that utilize the powers of Wind, Sun, and Lightning to help players to compete in both the Sanctum Sprint and the Scavenger Hunt.

A number of new achievements and mini-games have been added as well, such as the Belcher's Bluff for those Omnomberry connoisseurs out there. Seems like a lot of great content, but I'll be honest, I haven't launched Guild Wars 2 in a few months, and with the Steam sales going on right no?w is probably not the best time to jump back in.

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Every bit helps

Despite not playing as much Guild Wars 2 as I'd like to, that's okay -- it's not costing me anything. I can continue not playing free of guilt, which is the only way I can do MMO gaming any more, I've rea?lized. ArenaNet has kindly shifted the price o?f the game down by $10. Rad.

That's $49.99 for the Standard Edition and $69.99 for the Digital Deluxe. The latter includes additional in-game bonuses, such as a miniature Rytlock, the Mistfire Wolf Elite summon skill, a Golem Banker, and a couple of one-time boosts. With the continued free content updates, it's as good of time as any to get into Guild Wars 2.

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