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I recently had the pleasure of dipping my toes into the next major Guild Wars 2 expansion, called Janthir Wilds. It brings an energy setting it apart from previous expansions. While there’s definitely an evil threat lurking off in the distance, it gave me a vibe similar to how Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail started. The players are exploring an unfamiliar region, and meeting new, interesting cultures.
There’s a great deal of content coming in Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds, such as a new raid for the first time in five years. However, we’re going to be focused on what we saw so far - essentially the introduction to the expansion, and a brief tease of some amazing battles.
What are the big talking points of Guild Wars 2 Wilds of Janthir?
Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds takes us to the Isles of Janthir, north of Kryta. We meet several clans of Kodan (bear people), an amazing new mount, and a feature that fans have been asking for for years - housing. This expansion takes place right where the previous one, Secrets of the Obscure left off, and takes us back to Tyria, instead of traveling back to the Astral Ward.
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However, the developers said they’ve learned a lot since their previous expansion, which began their new expansion timeline/release schedule. So far, I do have to say, it felt incredibly smooth, trying out the introduction to Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds. I won’t be spoiling any major plot points here, but I do like how things are setting up for this expansion.
There’s going to be a greater focus on storytelling with the characters, and the growth of Tyria as a planet. The planet has been through an awful lot throughout the last few expansions, so hopefully, things will settle down during Janthir Wilds.
In addition, Guild Wars 2 players will also have access to a new weapon (the spear), mount (Warclaw), and a fresh system (Homesteads). Technically, the Warclaw isn’t new, though - it’s a PVP mount. However, this version is different, and won’t take an intense grind to unlock. That might be my favorite thing about Janthir Wilds.
A hint of things coming in Guild Wars 2’s next expansion
The first part of the preview took us to what is essentially the start of this expansion. Players make their way to Janthir and start to meet the people who live in this territory. They begin in Moon Camp, which is a pretty gorgeous, ornate setting.
There are threats out in the wild, as players explore this new area, which will have them dipping their toes into combat, as well as swiftly unlocking the local mount: The Warclaw. That’s right, no collection quests, or frustrating quest chains here. Just naturally blended in with the story.
It’s a decision that I think is incredible and will make it feel like a part of the world, instead of something tacked on as an extra grind. The same goes for housing/homesteads. It will be integrated into the game in a way that makes sense.
We saw a decent chunk of the introduction to Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds and met quite a few high-ranking members of the local Kodan community. Their deep voices and dry humor really struck a chord with me. Between learning about the locals, and their culture, and meeting the Kodan in person, it was a satisfying way to start.
The developers also stated that the Kodan/Janthir peoples are based on Nordic culture. They also pointed out that there was a great deal of research done at local museums and other sources to make sure the connection felt strong and accurate. It showed that they were doing their homework.
Unique, fun events await in Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds
We saw a few of the community events that will take place among the Kodan - some of them were simple, fun things like dancing. However, the part that appealed to me the most was the arena battle. This was such a great event, and it’s not just for people that want to get into combat.
We won’t spoil the battle or anything in it, but it is an intense challenge, where a true master of the spear tests the player’s mettle. If you want, you can choose to sit in the stands and contribute to the event by cheering the other players on. That’s such a great idea. Not everyone wants to push themselves against hard opponents. Occasionally, we just want to relax, but still take part in events.
There’s also an obstacle course maze you take part in on your Warclaw. You can use the amazing double jump, sniff out targets to hit and throw spears at targets. It’s a great way to learn what this mount can do.
Without spoiling much, there’s a festering, rotting swamp that you will explore - alongside some mighty Titans who are also rotten and disgusting. We want these fights to be a surprise, so we won’t be showing any of it - but trust us, these battles are intense, and so much fun.
Homesteads allow players to relax, kick their feet up, and more
The biggest hit for me had to be Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wild's Homesteads. These will be unlocked naturally in the story as well - and also early. It’s not something you’re going to have to wait forever to unlock.
Unlike the Island Sanctuary in Final Fantasy 14, this doesn’t appear to be a place where you’re just going to go do more chores. That was fine, but it wasn’t always relaxing. The Homestead will be a place where you can show off your collection of items from over the years. Your various mount skins will be here as mounts you can pet, and your other characters will show up as NPC Commanders.
It will be nice to see your alts in person, instead of swapping over character to character. This is something I felt World of Warcraft’s Warband system could have done - combine the old Garrisons, and show your alts/mounts and such in a nice way. Of course, you can build tons of stuff in these places.
You can also place any Nodes you have from your home instance here, so you can access them here. You can also bring friends along into this instanced world, and they can get their resources from your Nodes as well.
They can also help you build. You can bring friends along to help design your perfect little homestead. It’s such a cool thing to see - I just hope that the various houses and designs aren’t incredibly expensive to pick up in Guild Wars 2.
Much is still unknown about Guild Wars 2 Janthir Wilds, but after hanging out in it for a few hours, I’m pretty hopeful that the development team has put together something memorable and interesting. The next major story in GW2 begins on August 20, 2024.
