Today’s the day that players of the MMORPG Guild Wars 2 get to explore the long legendary land of Cantha that has been cut off from the rest of Tyria for ages but now with the loss of numerous Elder Dragons, its borders are open once again.
Cantha’s reveal comes with the launch of End of Dragons, the third expansion to GW2 that features an all-new story set on the enigmatic continent first revealed during the 2006 Guild Wars Factions update. It is a lush region with an island archipelago and mainland with its own exotic architecture. The people there have seen over 200 years of magical and technological progress due to its relative isolation and the presence of a material known as dragonjade.
However, times are now changing as the final Elder Dragon, the deep-sea dragon, turns its sights on the nation, and players landing on Cantha’s shores will have an entire story to unweave and mysteries to solve.
“End of Dragons represents a multi-year expression of passion, talent, and creativity from the entire team at ArenaNet and NCSoft,” said Amy Liu, Guild Wars 2 executive producer. “It’s been 16 years since players last got to explore Cantha, and we’re very excited to take that return journey with the community as we tell the next amazing chapter of the Guild Wars 2 story.”
Players can expect a bevy of new content with End of Dragons including four new open-world maps. Each of the maps will showcase each of the various cultures and settings within Cantha and include GW2’s signature dynamic events. The four zones are the Echovald Wilds, Jade Sea, Shing Jea Island, and New Kaineng City.
The new expansion also features new personal watercraft called skiffs that will serve as mobile ferries for players. They will also allow groups to participate in fishing in the game, which adds this particular minigame to GW2 for the first time since its launch.
Another much-touted feature will be Jade Bots, a companion for players that will bring utility for players and assist with world traversal in Cantha. Aside from being cute, they will be part of the horizontal progression. With a Jade Bot at your side, it will be able to provide boosts for mounts, faster travel to skiffs, a pick-me-up in battle, and other features.
The expansion brings the game’s first multiplayer mount: the badass siege turtle. Walking war machines that are part tortoise, part artillery platform, part all-terrain vehicle. The turtle can carry two players into battle.
Another innovation in End of Dragons will be the upgradable settlement of Arborstone, a fortified village among the boughs of the Echovald Wilds that players can build up through the campaign.
Image: ArenaNet
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