Hello, Tyrians!
We are less than a month away from the launch of Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™, and while there's plenty to be excited about for the August 20 release, players can also look forward to the newest raid and Convergence going live in our first major update in November. You will be able to explore a mysterious mountain region, and as you ascend the mountain, you'll face off against opponents who won't go down without a fight. Players will also get to choose how to encounter these fights, in either a 50-player Convergence event or a 10-player raid wing—our first new raid in five years!
Our team is currently hard at work developing this new raid, so while we can't share all the details yet, we can provide an overview of what to expect and explain why we are reintroducing raids, along with some insight into what players can hope for in the future!
The Return of Raiding
In the past, raids were self-contained instances with their own stories, built for 10-player groups. Our goal with the upcoming raid is to allow players to experience the story in a way that works best for them. The raid will be integrated into the main storyline, and players who might be hesitant to join a raid group will be able to enjoy their own personal narrative. The 50-player version is built as a Convergence, similar in structure to those found in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure™. Those participating in the 10-player raid will find the story to be more heroic, with a focus on the formidable enemies they face rather than the NPCs involved in the narrative.
While there will be some differences between the 50-player and 10-player versions, the team has recognized the importance of maintaining a sense of continuity between both experiences. We look forward to watching players discover and master these mechanics in each setting.
With the introduction of our new raid encounter, some of you might be wondering if we will continue to create raids in the future. The short answer is "maybe." Raids require a significant amount of development resources, but only a small subset of players engage with the 10-player group instanced content, which is part of the reason it has been five years since our last one. This new raid serves as a test to see how we can support raids moving forward.
Originally, we attempted to solve the cost problem with raids through Strike Missions, a new game mode designed to be a bridge between players and raids. This time, instead of trying to give players "bridge" content in the hope that it leads them to raids, we're just giving them the raid content from the start in the form those interested in it really want. Players who want a 10-player, instanced, mechanics-heavy version can play that, and the players who prefer a large-scale, open-world experience with fewer barriers to entry can also experience the content that way.
Meanwhile, integrating raid content into the story lets us fit its development into our annual release schedule. We aim to extend story assets to support raids and gauge players' reactions to raids that have been integrated into the story.
Sometime after the raid's release in November, its challenge mode will become available. Additionally, players participating in the 10-player raid can anticipate a legendary mode, offering a highly coveted purple title.
Convergences in Janthir Wilds
The kodan cubs huddle closely around the village's Claw, their eyes wide with awe and excitement as he begins to recount a harrowing tale. It's a story of bravery and strategy, in which a band of fifty fearless Tyrians embarked on a daring mission as they ascended the mountain. As the tale unfolds and you take up the challenge in this encounter, you will find a strong ally in your warclaw mount, which will aid in this new adventure!
Listen closely as the village's Claw weaves the narrative—each encounter promises unexpected challenges and thrilling surprises.
During your encounters with these enemies, you might observe a noticeable shift in difficulty compared to what you experienced in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure. We've fine-tuned these bosses to present a more advanced challenge than in previous Convergences, necessitating coordinated efforts from all party members to secure victory.
Completing Convergences in Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds will award players with essences that can be used to craft legendary gear. And, yes, these essences will be compatible with the legendary Obsidian armor available in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, as well as the new legendary spear and legendary backpack arriving in the quarterly updates for Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds. Essences from Convergences will be renamed "rift essences" (with three rarities) to streamline the rewards.
We hope you enjoyed hearing about some of the post-launch content coming to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds. We'll see you in Tyria!
Prepurchasing any edition of Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds before the expansion launches will grant you the "Homesteader" title, the Whispering Serpents Pauldrons skin, and a box with your choice of one Serpent's Wrath weapon skin.
Visit the official store page for full details on the items included in the Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate editions.