Season 2 of the popular subscription-free MMO Guild Wars 2 has gone live with its opening episode The Gates of Maguuma, and ArenaNet has revealed what will change in terms of gameplay.
Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 2 Trailer Released, Hints At Ominous Events To Come
The one-time-pay model has surely paid dividends for Guild Wars 2 players, as ArenaNet has steadily been releasing large quantities of new content in the years since its release, with micro-transactions scratching those premium deluxe itches anyone might have.
With main hub city Lion's Arch in ruins after last season's battle and subsequent defeat of Scarlet Briar and the Zephyrite fleet mysteriously attacked, the player will have the choice to investigate enemy incursions into the Brisban Wildlands or stop the evil Inquest from exploiting strange phenomena in the Maguuma region.
Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 2 Launch Date Announced
The most notable change is essentially a "Level Select" option for an MMO - a first, to my knowledge. Guild Wars 2's story missions have always been instanced affairs, but season 2 will bring replayability to them. If you log in during the time in which those particular seasonal stories are live, they are added to your Hero's Journal tab and you can access and replay them at any time. If you do not, you can always buy (permanent) access to them with gems, the game's real-life currency equivalent.
The episode's release notes provide a full list of fixes and updates that go along with Gates of Maguuma, including new story-based achievements and rewards. If you're not playing Guild Wars 2 yet, maybe now's a good jumping-on point? The fancy edition doesn't really add that much, and $49.99 really isn't that much for the ridiculous amount of new content they provide yearly.
