Guild Wars 2 redefines massively multiplayer online roleplaying games with visceral, action-oriented combat; a gorgeous, living world full of constantly evolving dynamic events; customizable personal storylines that are unique to each player; intense Player vs. Player combat between small teams or massive armies; and most importantly, a shared online world where players work together as allies instead of as rivals — all with no monthly subscription fee.

ArenaNet invites everyone to save the date for July 27, when they will reveal the first details of Guild Wars 2’s next major expansion, End of Dragons, to the world.

To punctuate the invite, the studio released three new pieces of concept art from the project to hint at the setting and new lands players will explore when it launches.

The July 27 reveal will feature a live stream, new details on the setting and story, and more information on when players can participate in upcoming beta events for End of Dragons.

In addition, the studio released a roadmap of content coming to Guild Wars 2 between now and then as The Icebrood Saga concludes today with the release of Episode 5 Chapter 4: Judgment.

May 11—Skills and Balance Update

We’ve taken an in-depth look at the current state of play across the entire game. This update includes changes to boons and conditions (spoiler: retaliation, resistance, and torment), making sure professions can take advantage of the changes, and increasing the viability of several underused elite specializations. We’ll be back with a full breakdown of the changes on April 29.

We’ll continue to monitor game balance and play rates for all professions and elite specializations and release additional balance updates as needed before Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons.

Beginning May 25—Living World: Complete the Cycle

Living World is the story of the dragon cycle, and now is the perfect time to look at everything that’s happened on the path that brought us here. Join the mission to catch up on Living World episodes you’ve missed—for free—and jump-start your legendary journey in Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons! (Legendaries confirmed.)

Starting May 25, Living World episodes will be in the spotlight chronologically. Episodes are free to unlock during their spotlight week, and we’ll update them with new achievements. Complete all the new Living World Season 2 and 3 achievements to earn a voucher for a Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons precursor weapon. When the expansion launches, you can redeem it and begin crafting your very own third-generation legendary weapon.

After completing the new meta-achievement for all three playable Living World seasons and The Icebrood Saga, you’ll receive a legendary amulet as a powerful reminder of your role in shaping Tyria’s destiny.

The new achievements and their rewards will be available permanently, so you can always complete them even if you miss the spotlight weeks.

July 13—The Twisted Marionette

Living World Season 1 set Guild Wars 2‘s story in motion, ending with the city of Lion’s Arch in flames and Mordremoth’s awakening. Scarlet Briar left the ruins of her corrupted genius strewn across Tyria, from the broken Tower of Nightmares in Kessex Hills to The Breachmaker’s wreckage in Sanctum Harbor.

Shortly before she launched her war on Lion’s Arch, Scarlet used Lornar’s Pass as a testing ground for her colossal watchwork superweapon, the Twisted Marionette. An army of heroes organized a three-pronged assault strategy, destroying Scarlet’s forces, surviving the Marionette’s attacks, and severing the chains tethering it to The Breachmaker.

Until now, the Marionette has lain scrapped in False River Valley. But on July 13, one of the most memorable battles of Living World Season 1 will return to Guild Wars 2 as a bonus event. We’ve preserved the flow of this highly requested encounter, with some adjustments to bring it up to our current design standards.

July 13—The Legendary Armory

The Legendary Armory is a new and improved way to manage your legendary gear and upgrades. Once a legendary item is added to the armory, it will be available to every level 80 character on your account. No more visiting the bank to share one weapon between multiple characters!

More information about the Legendary Armory will be available closer to its release.

Ongoing Summer Events

• May 14: World vs. World Weeklong Bonus: Receive a 100% bonus to World Experience, a 25% bonus to reward-track progress, and a 50% bonus to magic find for a full week. There’s never been a better time to unlock your warclaw mount or earn your legendary WvW armor.
• May 25: PvP League Season 27 and Weeklong Bonus: Prepare for battle! Call of the Mists will be active during the first week of Season 27, granting a 15% bonus to PvP rank point gain, a 25% bonus to reward-track progress, and a 200% magic find bonus.
• June 1: Fractal Rush: The Fractals of the Mists have gone haywire, and we need your help to stabilize them! Play Fractals of the Mists and contribute to the community goal to earn extra rewards during this weeklong event.
• June 18: World vs. World No Downstate Event: A fluctuation in the Mists will remove the downed state in WvW for a week. We’re sure you’ll be fine! You’ll receive bonuses to world experience, reward-track progress, and magic find.
• June 22: Dragon Bash: The annual Dragon Bash festival returns to Hoelbrak. Enjoy the terrifying dragon holograms, spectacular fireworks, and smorgasbord of dragon bashing activities (awful dragons only).
• July 5: sPvP Tournament Week and the Tournament of Legends: Prepare for a full week of special tournaments and the return of the Tournament of Legends! Emerge victorious in the Tournament of Legends on July 11 to earn a Generation 1 or 2 legendary weapon—just in time for the Legendary Armory update.
• July 23: World vs. World Weeklong Bonus: Another week of bonuses to reward-track progress, magic find, and world experience in WvW. Don’t forget to take a break from conquering your enemies to catch the Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons livestream!