Guild Wars 2 End OF Dragons Beta Begins August 17

Guild Wars 2 End Of Dragons Beta Begins 17 August - concept art for harbinger class specialization

Commanders can step into a new realm of adventure on 17 August when the very first Guild Warrs 2 End of Dragons Beta begins.

Fans of ArenaNet’s massive MMORPG might have noticed a torrent of news, previews, and new class specializations across the last week. Now fans can get a glimpse of what’s coming across the Jade Sea when the first playable Guild Wars 2 End OF Dragons content arrives on Tuesday. The upcoming event will open up a ton of new content for players to break, including three of the new elite specializations. These new twists on current class concepts allow existing archetypes to swap out their skills, equip new weapons and play the game in an entirely different way.

To give players space to test, three new character slots will unlock on Tuesday, all of which will get a level 80 boost, no grinding required. Anybody logging in on Tuesday morning will be able to try out these new ways to play up until 21 August, which should leave plenty of time to try out the following :

Harbinger

My own personal preference here, the Harbinger is a new way to play with the dead. Necromancers will now be able to wield pistols infused with a deadly blight. Mixing potions and apothecary with trigger happy pistol-wielding, the Harbinger seems a little like a twisted version of the Engineer’s Elixer build.

Virtuoso

On to something a little more cultured. The Virtuoso is the newest change for the Mesmer. Always a well loved and hated core class, the Mesmer now has the ability to shape their own illusions into offensive weapons. Traditionally known for their trickery and manipulation of the mind, Mesmers don’t generally use their own illusions as offensive weapons. Now, these psionic blades can be used to confuse and utterly overpower an enemy. We’re hoping this gives the Mesmer something of a more glass cannon approach than we’ve previously seen.

Willbender

The final of the three new specializations includes a change for the guardian. Traditionally a mix of support and strength in any party, the Guardian gets to wield an off-hand sword and utilize new physical abilities to take down any foe. The Willbender sidesteps the traditionally stoic and sure-footed Guardian stereotype, leaping into a more mobile role and allowing Willbenders to take an aggressive damage-dealing approach to combat. The Willbender’s off-hand sword and many physical utilities have been given multi-strike and bonus movement capabilities that you’ll catch in the preview above. I’m going to avoid trying to tank when using this specialization.

For those of you looking for more, three further elite specializations are set to be revealed leading up to the second End of Dragons beta, which begins September 21 and runs through September 25, with the final three being playable in the third beta from October 26-30. If you haven’t already got Guild Wars 2 and need to catch up then you can find out more about End of Dragons and the rest of this MMO over at the official Guild Wars 2 website now.

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