Greetings, Tyrians!
We’re thrilled to share details about the next update for Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™—”Repentance,” launching on March 11. This chapter brings new trials and discoveries to Tyria, including a new map: Mistburned Barrens, a land where strange forces stir and long-buried mursaat secrets begin to surface. Prepare for battles that will challenge even the most seasoned adventurers, along with a host of other exciting updates. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Picking up where the Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds story left off in “Godspawn,” our allies have just finished their heroic battle against the titans atop Mount Balrior. Ura, Decima, and Greer have been defeated. But this alone has not ended the blight that looms over Janthir, and our journey is not yet done. Upon Ura’s death, she claimed that the door that the titans entered Tyria through remains open.
These words rattled Isgarren and Waiting Sorrow, who informed us that Mabon had cast a ward over Bava Nisos, the ruined mursaat city, to hide it and its dangers from the rest of the world. But with his death, that ward fell, and somewhere inside a Mists gate sits open.
When work began on Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds, we knew that we would be exploring mysteries that have been teased since the release of the original Guild Wars®, which we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of this year . From the fall of the mursaat at the titans’ claws to the many misdeeds of the White Mantle—these are some of Tyria’s darkest, bloodiest moments. Now, you and your allies must venture further into the isles of Janthir to reveal these long-forgotten histories. Maybe, with this knowledge, we can cleanse Janthir once and for all.
We’ve traveled from the comforts of home in Lowland Shore into the stormy, damp woods of Janthir Syntri. Now, we must sail to the ruined home of the mursaat to figure out what Ura warned us of—starting just outside of Bava Nisos, in Mistburned Barrens.
Mistburned Barrens
As the Tyrian Alliance sets out to explore the ruins of Bava Nisos, they face a uniquely hazardous environment. Even though hundreds of years have passed since the Door of Komalie was opened, the barrens are still fraught with the remains of mursaat experiments in spectral agony and long saturated with bloodstone magic and Mistburn. The ghosts of the mursaat and their victims cling to the land, forever haunting this cursed place.
To safely explore this grim landscape, the Tyrian Alliance has put together survey parties to unravel the mysteries buried within the crumbling corridors. Players will be able to participate in three unique surveys from the base camp at the ruins’ mouth:
- To the north, players will reactivate an enormous, dormant construct and use it to cross a spectral agony-flooded valley.
- In the center, players will utilize asuran golems to delve into an ancient library and investigate the Mistburn that has spread across the isles of Janthir.
- Players in the south will lead a procession of Tyrian Alliance members into a laboratory once utilized for bloodstone sacrifices and experimentation.
From a design perspective, our goal is to ensure that anytime a player enters the map there are rewarding, structured events that you can jump right into. Now, to investigate the buzzing sound that scouts have reported emanating from the woods…
New Arrivals
Next week’s “Repentance” update brings several exciting additions to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds, including the highly anticipated challenge mode for the Mount Balrior raid. If you’ve been searching for your next raid challenge, this is your chance to join the race for world-first completion as guilds push the limits of coordination, strategy, and execution. And for those seeking the ultimate trial, the final boss, Ura, will be available as a legendary mode encounter on March 25. We plan to stagger the release of challenge mode and legendary mode releases like this going forward to give ourselves an opportunity to address encounter balance concerns before the legendary mode is released.
Greer, the Blightbringer, will also make his debut in the Mount Balrior Convergence, which will add variation to the final boss you encounter there. Expect familiar mechanics executed in new, unpredictable ways that will keep your group on their toes.
With the addition of a new map and story chapters, we’re introducing the Mursaat Shadowcraft Mastery track. For lore enthusiasts, we recently explored mursaat history and its ties to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds in a Narrative team blog. If you’re curious about the origins of the mursaat, this deep dive will provide insight into their role in the story and even offer hints about the upcoming Mastery track.
New relics will also be available to further customize your builds. If you missed our recent developer stream, the Balance team showcased some of these new relics; catch the full VOD on our Twitch channel.
And of course, a new release means new rewards, including updates to the Wizard’s Vault and Twitch Drops. Stay tuned for next week’s blog, where we’ll dive into all the details!
World vs. World Updates
In the March 11 update, we’re introducing a long-awaited quality-of-life improvement aimed at improving the visibility of WvW guild membership. A new column in the Guild panel’s second tab will display an icon next to all members who have designated that guild as their WvW guild. However, this information will only be visible within the guild you have personally selected as your WvW guild.
Looking ahead to the March 25 update, the WvW team is focused on refining the WvW rewards system, tackling performance issues, and implementing adjustments based on player feedback, along with other quality-of-life improvements. Several key changes are on the horizon, including:
- Consolidation of reward tracks to enhance accessibility.
- Improved map-currency acquisition via reward tracks.
- Addition of a brand-new WvW weapon set.
- New restrictions on tactivator use for keeps and Stonemist Castle.
- Tuning the health pools of keep lords.
- Updating victory points and skirmish values, refining how progress and success are measured in WvW.
PvP Push Game Mode
Late last year, we ran the first beta event for the new Push PvP game mode, giving players a glimpse into our development process and an opportunity to provide feedback on our prototype. The event was well received, generating a wealth of player feedback through participant surveys.
Since then, we’ve been working on updates to refine the mode based on that input. We’re excited to announce that another beta event is planned for May 20 to May 26, giving players another chance to experience the mode and share their thoughts. We’ll reveal more details about the changes as we get closer to the event date.
Guild Wars 2 in the Spring
While “Repentance” is only a week away, several festivals and bonus events are happening before the launch of our third Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds update later this year. Take a look at what is coming up this spring:
March
- March 11—Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds: “Repentance”
- March 25—Ura Raid Legendary Mode and WvW Quality-of-Life Updates
April
- April 8–April 15—Dungeon Rush Bonus Event
- April 15–May 6—Super Adventure Festival
- April 15—Skills and Balance Update
- April 25–May 2—WvW No Downed State Bonus Event
May
- May 6–May 20—Return to End of Dragons Bonus Event
- May 13–May 20—Roller Beetle Racing Bonus Event
- May 20–May 27—PvP Push Beta and Rush Bonus Event
And finally, as a reminder of what’s still to come in Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds during the final two updates, we have this handy content chart:
Stay tuned to our social media channels for more info regarding “Repentance” and we’ll be back next week with a launch blog covering the main features and rewards. Happy adventuring!
—The Guild Wars 2 Team
