Guild Wars 2 is getting its fifth expansion on August 20, developer ArenaNet has announced, one that will add a highly requested feature to the long-running free-to-play MMORPG: player housing.
Called Janthir Wilds, the expansion will see players acquire Homesteads, something AreaNet is already calling “the most player-friendly housing system” seen in an MMORPG yet. Homesteads can be customized and decorated as players see fit, and friends and guildmates can be invited over so players can show off their homes.
Homesteads may be the expansion’s big selling point, but there are other new additions as well, including two new maps for players to explore, the addition of Warclaws to the game’s mount roster and, for the first time since launch, a new weapon type in the two-handed spear. For the first time since 2019, there will also be a new 10-man raid, though the raid and its more-difficult challenge mode won’t be available at launch and will come in one of the expansion’s three major updates post-launch. Those updates will additionally introduce another new map, additional rewards, and a new PvP mode.
The expansion is available for preorder now for $25. ArenaNet additionally announced Guild Wars 2, and all of its previous expansions and as well as Janthir Wilds, will be available on the Epic Games Store later this summer. Guild Wars 2, which originally released in 2012, was added to Steam in August 2022.
Homesteads will let players in Guild Wars 2 customize their home and invite over friends.
ArenaNet’s MMORPG doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Ahead of the game’s Steam launch, ArenaNet noted Guild Wars 2 player counts had doubled in recent years. In 2023, ArenaNet changed how it approached developing content for Guild Wars 2, pivoting to smaller, but more frequent expansions in conjunction with major quarterly updates instead of larger expansions that could take several years to be released. The goal, ArenaNet said, was to deliver more content sustainably, and for “the next big release” to only ever be a “few months away.”
In an expansion retrospective ahead of the Janthir Wilds announcement, Guild Wars 2 game director Josh Davis said the team has made “significant strides” in its goal to deliver more-consistent game updates and support for the MMORPG while also helping its developers enjoy a better work-life balance. There is, however, still room for improvement, he said.
