Guild Wars 2 expansions are about to change this year, according to the first studio update in 2023.
Developer ArenaNet just dropped its first studio update of 2023 introducing a whole raft of changes and added information about what is coming throughout the next 12 months. Published yesterday, the massive update from the Bellevue studio leapt into detail on how it develops and delivers added content and features, including the approach to expansions.
While Tyrians have been graced with several expansions the release of the recent End of Dragons update signalled something of a or and the word for this massive MMORPG. Despite this, it seems that the game’s iconic Living World updates are seeing the biggest change, going forward. Between expansion development and a box set of smaller stories, the box set approach of Living World has always been a problem for the team behind Guild Wars 2. It soaks up a ton of development time and puts pressure on ArenaNet to meet constant deadlines. Instead of this constant mix of content drawing resources in multiple directions ANet is set to change things up and introduce more frequent updates:
Rather than launching an expansion every two to four years with a season of Living World in between, we’ll be releasing smaller expansions more frequently at a slightly reduced price and adding additional content for those expansions through quarterly updates, meaning that the next big release is only ever a few months away.
These mini expansions mean players can expect new open-world maps, Strike Missions, new gameplay, and combat features that aren’t restricted to story progression.
Spring Roadmap
Like other large scale MMOs, Guild Wars 2 also plans ahead, and ANet dropped an overview of what’s coming this spring. Players who have conquered Cantha can expect the following:
- February 14: Profession Balance Update, WvW Objective Reward Scaling, Chromium Embedded Framework Upgrade
- February 28: New Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons Map and Story Content, Soo-Won Legendary Variant
- March 28: Super Adventure Festival
- April 18: DX11 Upgrade Complete
- May 2: Profession Balance Update
With plenty to come for free, Guild Wars 2 is looking for like better value all the time. Check out our review of the End of Dragons expansion for more on the latest region in Tyria’s biggest adventure or check out the official blog for more.
