Guild Wars 2 - End of Dragons Preview

RPG Fan posted their first impressions of the upcoming expansion of Guild Wars 2.

A Hands-On Look at Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons

Guild Wars 2 is my favorite MMO of all time, and after a guided preview of the upcoming End of Dragons expansion, I’m happy to say that the future looks bright for fans of ArenaNet’s MMO.

My look at the expansion began in the Echovald Wilds, a dark forest filled with formerly petrified nature mixed with man-made technologies and structures. The Echovald Wilds is at the center of the battle between three warring factions that want to control the region of Cantha. While exploring the map I witnessed the conflict between the Jade Brotherhood, a gang of tinkerers that love jade technology, and the Speakers, a rival gang that opposes the Jade Brotherhood’s experiments and developments. The Kestrels, a third faction, act as a peacekeeping organization that aims to minimize the damage done by the gang war going on in the region.

The aesthetic of the maps in End of Dragons reflects their conflict, with the natural plant life and ancient structures of the Echovald juxtaposed against imposing laboratories and jade technology. The bright greens and purples help set the maps apart from other technology-covered maps, like those in the Asura starting area.

When End of Dragons releases, players will have the opportunity to work with all three of the region’s factions in events, renown hearts, and instanced content.

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As a long-time Guild Wars 2 fan, I was concerned that End of Dragons might have trouble changing up the formula as much as previous expansions did. Heart of Thorns brought us gliding, Path of Fire brought us mounts; would a two-person mount and skiffs be enough to freshen things up? I’m happy to say that while the new changes don’t completely change the formula, all of them are fun. The new elite specializations are a blast, fishing is a great pastime, and the maps look like some of the most interesting to explore and learn about. I can’t wait to see everything else End of Dragons has to offer when it releases in February 2022.