Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds' best new features won't be hidden behind collections

As a long-time Guild Wars 2 player, there’s a change in Janthir Wilds that I really appreciate. I’m excited for both the Warclaws and Homsteads as major features in the upcoming expansion, that’s for sure. However, in the past, several mounts were hidden behind frustrating collection quests. You had to collect a whole bunch of stuff, preferably while it was relevant and people were doing content.

However, as a primarily solo player who doesn’t have a lot of time for that stuff, I missed out on unlocking the Griffon, Roller Beetle, and Skyscale when they were content. Admittedly, Secrets of the Obscure made it easier to get a Skyscale at least. With the advent of a non-PVP Warclaw mount coming in the Janthir Wilds expansion, I’m glad to see they’ll be integrated in a better way.

NOTE: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinion.

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Both Homesteads and Warclaws won’t be locked behind collections in Guild Wars 2

Homesteads can be as chaotic or as beautiful as you want. (Image via ArenaNet)

Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds is making some serious changes as it pertains to unlocking content. Perhaps it’s less of a change and more of a creative decision, but I’m on board with it either way. I recently took part in a preview session, seeing the early hours of the Janthir Wilds expansion. We saw how players will unlock their Warclaw mount, and that it will be connected to the story.

This made fundamental sense, as Janthir is the home of the Warclaw species. The manner in which it was tamed and made an ally was something that I appreciated. It didn’t involve a bunch of money, resources, and time traveling all over the world doing in-game events, to try and unlock items.

Instead, it’s connected to the story in a way that makes sense, that feels natural. Grinding for a bunch of collections just to have a saddle for the Roller Beetle was not a fun adventure for me. Some people might enjoy it, but I just don’t have that kind of time. I don’t mind grinding for legendary weapons in MMOs - like Thunderfury in World of Warcraft.

When building in your homestead, you can even turn into a bee to fly around and work easier in Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds. (Image via ArenaNet)

The reason I don’t mind grinding mounts in other games is because those games have hundreds of mounts. I know that I have plenty of options. Guild Wars 2’s mounts are still relatively new, comparatively speaking. Having some of them locked behind frustrating game mechanics doesn’t make it an enjoyable experience - at least for me.

I’m glad for both this and Homesteads to be unlocked naturally through the story. It makes both mechanics feel connected to the world - instead of connected to a grind. It’s a positive change, and one I hope to see implemented more in the future. It’s frustrating to miss out on important mounts and content, simply because time in my personal life is a factor for games like this.

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Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds drops on August 20, 2024, for PC. It introduces new maps, a new mount, and the continuation of the story that ended in Secrets of the Obscure.