End of Dragons is paving the way for Guild Wars 2's future

ArenaNet, the developers of Guild Wars 2, have just released their first studio update of 2022. Coming fresh off the launch of End of Dragons, ArenaNet is already looking beyond Cantha.

End of Dragons establishes a conclusive end to the cataclysm brought on by the Elder Dragons. Yet it also brought on a new era for adventurers in the world of Tyria.

For now, ArenaNet has introduced us to a solid plan for the next few months of Guild Wars 2. From new maps, new Legendary Weapon transformations, and some blasts from the past, this studio update talks about it all. And it starts with a bit of housecleaning.

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End of Dragons ushers in a new age for game and studio alike

The new Kaineng is a marvel (Image via ArenaNet)

ArenaNet is one of those developers who openly discuss the internal workings of the team with their player base. Keeping that tradition alive in their 10th year, the company opened this studio update by informing users that there are new faces at the helm.

Amy Liu, a former gamemaster and community manager at NCSOFT, is taking up the mantle of Executive Producer and will be responsible for the timelines on updates and expansions.

Josh "Grouch" Davis, a former community content creator and developer, is now the studio director. Josh will be shaping the mechanical future of the MMO.

Amy, Josh, & Co promised players that 2022 would be a year dedicated to quality rather than needless quantity. To this end, ArenaNet will be focusing its full might on bringing Guild Wars 2 to Steam, integrating DirectX11, and polishing up its current and future builds.

Beyond End of Dragons: Tyria's past, Tyria's future

Quality control aside, ArenaNet has already started cooking the next storyline that will carry Guild Wars 2 into a new expansion. While there are no concrete details on what the storyline will focus on or which region of the continent we will be able to explore, it's a foot in the door nonetheless.

Such bold promises are hard to make without a modicum of success. And success has been achieved through End of Dragons outselling the previous expansion Path of Fire, with the game doubling the active player base since Path of Fire's launch.

ArenaNet is not just content with remembering the past as a memory. Living World Season 1, better known as Scarlet's War was the first-ever seasonal content in Guild Wars 2 following the death of Zhaitan.

Scarlet Briar's quest to plunge Tyria into chaos was a string of live events before Living World Seasons became permanent.

Tower of Nightmares is back on the menu (Image via ArenaNet)

For the first time in nine years, Guild Wars 2 is bringing back Season 1 in an episodic format. Consisting of five episodes, Scarlet's War will be permanently available as part of the base game, to free-to-play players or otherwise.

Living World History will be released throughout 2022, with the first episode titled Flame and Frost dropping on April 19.

The return of Scarlet's War aside, ArenaNet also plans to continue the current PvE storyline beyond End of Dragons. Our adventures in Cantha are not done just yet, as a new map is slated to be released sometime this year.

It'll be interesting to see if ArenaNet sticks with the Living World format or adopts a new storytelling method now that we're in a post-End of Dragons world.

PvE-wise, there are just a few things left to mention. The four Strike Missions released in End of Dragons will be getting challenge modes, with Aetherblade Hideout CM coming on April 19 and other CMs being launched in subsequent months. If you're confused about Strike Missions, think of them as Guardian Raids from Lost Ark.

And last but certainly not least, Generation 3 Legendary Weapons will be getting their first two variants over the Spring. The first variant to be released is Zhaitan, while ArenaNet is keeping the second one a mystery. Our bet is Mordremoth because that's the second Elder Dragon we get to stab.

PvP, WvW, balancing, and the whole nine yards

Beyond End of Dragons (Image via ArenaNet)

As mentioned before, ArenaNet isn't keeping this strictly PvE, there's some PvP action too. Before End of Dragons launched, the organization was trying out new methods of World vs World structuring, and the beta tests were largely successful, aside from the odd bug or two.

In 2022, these bugs are being ironed out, and the revamped World vs World will be available for players to enjoy. There are no concrete dates to lock down, so this update is all we have. Fret not, for ArenaNet has planned a remedy to calm the nerves.

Users will also be getting restructured rewards that will take into account active participation rather than just capturing and running around. Furthermore, the team also plans to take into account how scoring, siege, and balance overall affect the state of WvW.

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Speaking of balance, ArenaNet has dedicated a lot of effort to restructuring how class professions and elite specializations work. The team will gather more and more info from all types of players and actively manage underused and underutilized weapons and skills to be more competitive.

The first of these should be dropping soon, where the developers have talked about reworking Ranger Spirits and Warrior Banners to make them more proactive than being stat-sticks.

For those who want less stress, the festive season in Tyria will kick off with the Super Adventure Box, and it's coming next week. Keeping with the name, End of Dragons has put down a few dragons for good, and there's no better way to celebrate (or mourn) than taking part in Dragon Bash. If everything goes right, this year's Dragon Bash will be a cathartic send-off to the Dragonrise storyline.

Bonus events such as Boss Rush and Meta Rush will hopefully return as well, alongside standard seasonal festivals such as Lunar New Year and Halloween.

Moving on, with sincerity

Onwards and upwards as they say (Image via ArenaNet)

Amy and Josh, and, to an extent, ArenaNet, discussed the studio having to deliver on its promise not just to players but also to their developers. Keeping workplace morale high and balancing the tightrope of work/free time is not easy for any developer team, but ArenaNet has pulled through so far.

And in keeping with tradition, ArenaNet will be hosting regular "State of the game" blogs to keep players informed.

End of Dragons is a decisive end to an enthralling, decade-spanning storyline that starts with gamers defending a city or just waking up from a dream. Yet this swansong of six majestic beings also paves the way for a future quite uncertain, and that's what a good expansion needs to deliver on.

For the first studio update, this was an interesting one to go through and it signals a promising future for the MMORPG. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Legendary Axe to craft.