Guild Wars 2 remains one of the last major MMOs subsisting on PC, as developers shift focus toward console-friendly live service games instead. Guild Wars 2 hasn't come through the past several years unscathed, however. ArenaNet has suffered controversies and layoffs, but Guild Wars 2 fans have remained dedicated so long as support for the MMO continues. While Guild Wars 2 moves forward with a new expansion in the works, a recent announcement confirms that it will arrive later than expected.
In a lengthy blog post updating Guild Wars 2 fans of the current status of development, ArenaNet confirmed that the Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons expansion has been delayed. It's no longer planned for release later this year, but will instead launch in early 2022. ArenaNet attributes the delay to the ongoing pandemic and the way that it has changed how the studio makes games. With that in mind, ArenaNet asks its fans to be patient while the team brings its creative vision to fruition.
Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons will be the MMO's third major expansion, but it's much more than that, too. It's expected to be the culmination of Guild Wars 2's biggest story, the one surrounding Elder Dragons and their cycle of destruction. It's not the end of Guild Wars 2's story altogether, however. End of Dragons also marks a return to one of the original Guild Wars' most popular locations, the continent of Cantha. As such, Guild Wars 2 fans are sure to be willing to wait an extra few months.
ArenaNet had another major announcement to make alongside the delay, however. Colin Johanson, game director of the Guild Wars franchise between 2012 and 2016, has returned in the role of ArenaNet's studio director. Johanson had left in 2016 to join Amazon, where he worked on interactive Twitch experiences and ultimately led the now-defunct team that made Crucible. Colin has been with ArenaNet since early 2021 helping keep things running smooth.
Johanson isn't the only team member that has rejoined ArenaNet, either. Josh "Grouch" Davis also left in 2016 to join Amazon as a community head. Now, he's back as ArenaNet's head of live operations for Guild Wars 2, ensuring that the game's living story continues unabated even with the team's current focus on the End of Dragons expansion.
Suffice to say, ArenaNet is still moving forward full steam towards the release of its End of Dragons expansion. Continued support of the MMO's living story is also progressing. The team is taking more time to make sure everything lives up to its own expectations, though, so Guild Wars 2 players will have to remain patient.
Guild Wars 2 is available now on PC.