Guild Wars 2 recently shared a “State of the Game” address regarding the future of the MMO after concluding its current story arc with End of Dragons. Among the announcements was the highly-anticipated return of Living World Season 1, “Scarlet’s War.”
The patch story content of Guild Wars 2 is released in Living World seasons, which bridge the gaps between expansions. Unfortunately, Guild Wars 2 relied on timed events and updating existing zones for Living World Season 1 rather than adding new zones like later seasons, meaning it was not possible to keep those story chapters available after their run.
After almost 9 years, ArenaNet has finally figured out how to make it work. Guild Wars 2 will condense key story moments into five chapters, which will be accessed via the story journal. This will allow players to meet Scarlet Briar, Mai Trin, and the heroes who would eventually join Dragon’s Watch; events previously only available for a short time after Guild Wars 2 launched. Unlike other Living World seasons, “Scarlet’s War” will be free for all players indefinitely, not just those who log in when the chapters are new.
Guild Wars 2 announced other exciting updates in the press release as well. ArenaNet is already working on its post-End of Dragons content, presumably for Living World Season 6, which will be in Cantha. It also confirmed a fourth expansion pack is coming to Guild Wars 2, though not for some time. In addition, after a long struggle, Guild Wars 2 is finally coming to Steam, giving more players an easy way to access the game.
Players are understandably excited over Living World Season 1 prodigal return. Though Season 1 had a short run time, the world-altering events that take place during it echo through the rest of Guild Wars 2. Many characters and plot points even spill over into End of Dragons, with Mai Trin and the Aetherblades playing a major role. Players will now have the opportunity to experience this pivotal chapter in Guild Wars 2’s history without having to count on a simple summary.
It is unfortunate it took Guild Wars 2 this long to re-add Living World Season 1 in the first place. End of Dragons concluded the saga of the Elder Dragons, and many characters and events from “Scarlet’s War” were referenced or came into play directly. While it would have been better for players to have been able to experience those events before End of Dragons, it is better late than never. As for new Guild Wars 2 players, the entire Elder Dragon saga will soon be able to be experienced from start to finish without any gaps in the story.
Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons is available now for PC.
Source: Guild Wars 2