On behalf of Queen Jennah of Kryta and the Captain's Council of Lion's Arch, you are cordially invited to participate in the return of the Festival of the Four Winds!

High atop the Labyrinthine Cliffs, our Zephyrite friends have been working in tandem with Lion's Arch to host an incredible variety of fun vendors and events to entertain visitors from all across Tyria. This celebration of unity and peace between our cultures is more important than ever before, and we hope that you will join us in the festivities.

In this spirit of cooperation, Queen Jennah has personally overseen the reopening of the Crown Pavilion, featuring a variety of challenges for Tyria's finest to test their mettle!

Transportation to the festivities couldn't be easier! Special hot air balloons are now stationed in each nation's capital city. Visitors can also sail directly on the ship from Lion's Arch.

We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
—Captain Ellen Kiel

• Complete the (Annual) Four Winds Customs meta-achievement to earn the Beach Trunks, a new leg armor piece appropriate for seashore fun.
  • Last year's meta-achievement reward, the Zephyrite Headband, can now be purchased from the festival reward vendors.
• A new Sandswept weapon set is now available. You'll receive your choice of a weapon by progressing the (Annual) Four Winds Customs meta-achievement and the (Weekly) Four Winds Festivities achievement.
  • Last year's Sun-Grown set can now be acquired from the weekly festival rewards vendor.
• The long-awaited Zephyrite short bow, torch, and warhorn are now available from Blessing of the Four Winds containers. Once you've unlocked one of these weapon skins, you can also acquire its upgraded Sun-Blessed form from a Zephyrite Weapon Enchanter.
  
• Contents of the Zephyrite Supply Boxes have been updated, including three new weapons crafted by a traveling weaponsmith.
  
• Added a new Mini Sea Turtle to the festival reward vendors in Labyrinthine Cliffs and Crown Pavilion.
  
• A new event has been added to the Labyrinthine Cliffs seaside. Help the Zephyrites prepare for the treasure hunt by filling water balloons at the shore and sending them to the upper docks by kite basket.
  
• Updated the trading prices at the Bazaar of the Four Winds.
  
• Added new festival guild hall decorations:
  • o Krytan Garden Column
    
  • Elonian Bazaar Shade
    
  • Beach House Spiral Stairs
    
  • Skimmer Rental Post
• Various issues have been fixed to ensure a safer and more pleasant festival for all participants.

The Festival of the Four Winds will be available for three weeks, from July 30 to August 20. Enjoy the festivities!


Bug Fix:

• Enabled "/PetalThrow" emote.

Nature can tell us a lot about beauty and fragility persevering in hard times. This sweet arrangement of pastel flowers will bring a bright and beautiful reminder to people that life is worth celebrating. The "/PetalThrow" Emote Tome is available for 400 gems.


Doze your summer away with these excellent discounts! Starting August 2 and continuing for the next few days, select chairs will be 20% off, including the Peaceful Shrine Chair, Tranquil Moon Chair, Glacial Chair, Jackal Chair, and more. Don't miss out!

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Log into Guild Wars 2 and press 'O' to access the Black Lion Trading Company for these great offers and more!

The Festival of the Four Winds has arrived! This annual celebration, orchestrated by Her Royal Majesty Queen Jennah of Kryta, heralds the joy of summer with tons of excitement throughout Tyria. The festivities are in full swing across two locations—the Crown Pavilion in Divinity's Reach and the Labyrinthine Cliffs—where players will be able to join in on the festivities until August 20.

Both the Labyrinthine Cliffs and the Crown Pavilion welcome adventurers of all levels, ensuring that even newcomers can dive into the festivities without hesitation. Read on for a rundown of the activities you can participate in during the festival and the rewards you can earn!


The Labyrinthine Cliffs can be accessed via Lion's Arch, and the Crown Pavilion can be accessed in Divinity's Reach. Check your in-game mail for an Invitation to the Festival of the Four Winds and double-click the item to teleport instantly to your desired location.


When you enter the Labyrinthine Cliffs, you will arrive in a whole new area! This beautiful explorable zone is located on the Tyrian coast. You can navigate this map using the various aspect crystals: wind, sun, and lightning. There are activities all over the map, so keep your eyes peeled!

Experience the thrill of finding treasure with fellow players by participating in the treasure hunt meta-event, or try your hand at one of the races! The Skimmer Slalom and Flying Dolyak adventures will offer you the fun you need in this beachy location. There are also sky crystals all over the map that you can find to complete achievements.

[d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net]If you decide to head to the Crown Pavilion, you will discover many other activities! Join other players in defeating the greatest enemies of Kryta in the Boss Blitz event. But worry not; these are not real beings. They are merely Queen Jennah's watchknight soldiers.

Face off against the strongest individuals in Tyria. Talk to one of the fight managers to join the queue, and you will be transported to a one-versus-one arena—the Queen's Gauntlet! Cheer on your friends or show off your skills to the world.

This year, you can also help the Zephyrites at the Labyrinthine Cliffs seaside by preparing for a treasure hunt! Fill water balloons at the shore and send them up to the upper docks by kite basket.

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As you take part in the festivities, you can progress the Annual Four Winds Customs meta-achievement to earn a new leg armor piece—Beach Trunks, perfect for some seashore fun! A new Sandswept weapon collection is also earnable by progressing the Annual Four Winds Customs meta-achievement and the weekly Four Winds Festivities achievement. You can locate these rewards in the achievement panel under Festivals.

Participate in various activities to earn festival tokens! Trade them at the festival rewards vendors in the Crown Pavilion and Labyrinthine Cliffs for exclusive items like the new Mini Sea Turtle, guild hall decorations, and much more! You can also look forward to the long-awaited Zephyrite short bow, torch, and warhorn, which can be found inside Blessings of the Four Winds containers. The Sun-Blessed versions of the weapons can be purchased from Zephyrite weapon enchanters.

We look forward to seeing you at the festival!

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The data transfer is completed, we'll see you in game!

Possible game access interruption on July 30. Please be aware that on July 30, there may be a temporary interruption in game access for those using Steam accounts due to a Guild Wars 2 data transfer. We are working with Steam to make sure this process happens quickly, and that there are no further disruptions. Thank you for your patience.

Hello, Tyrians!

We are less than a month away from the launch of Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™, and while there's plenty to be excited about for the August 20 release, players can also look forward to the newest raid and Convergence going live in our first major update in November. You will be able to explore a mysterious mountain region, and as you ascend the mountain, you'll face off against opponents who won't go down without a fight. Players will also get to choose how to encounter these fights, in either a 50-player Convergence event or a 10-player raid wing—our first new raid in five years!

Our team is currently hard at work developing this new raid, so while we can't share all the details yet, we can provide an overview of what to expect and explain why we are reintroducing raids, along with some insight into what players can hope for in the future!


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In the past, raids were self-contained instances with their own stories, built for 10-player groups. Our goal with the upcoming raid is to allow players to experience the story in a way that works best for them. The raid will be integrated into the main storyline, and players who might be hesitant to join a raid group will be able to enjoy their own personal narrative. The 50-player version is built as a Convergence, similar in structure to those found in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure™. Those participating in the 10-player raid will find the story to be more heroic, with a focus on the formidable enemies they face rather than the NPCs involved in the narrative.

While there will be some differences between the 50-player and 10-player versions, the team has recognized the importance of maintaining a sense of continuity between both experiences. We look forward to watching players discover and master these mechanics in each setting.

With the introduction of our new raid encounter, some of you might be wondering if we will continue to create raids in the future. The short answer is "maybe." Raids require a significant amount of development resources, but only a small subset of players engage with the 10-player group instanced content, which is part of the reason it has been five years since our last one. This new raid serves as a test to see how we can support raids moving forward.

Originally, we attempted to solve the cost problem with raids through Strike Missions, a new game mode designed to be a bridge between players and raids. This time, instead of trying to give players "bridge" content in the hope that it leads them to raids, we're just giving them the raid content from the start in the form those interested in it really want. Players who want a 10-player, instanced, mechanics-heavy version can play that, and the players who prefer a large-scale, open-world experience with fewer barriers to entry can also experience the content that way.

Meanwhile, integrating raid content into the story lets us fit its development into our annual release schedule. We aim to extend story assets to support raids and gauge players' reactions to raids that have been integrated into the story.

Sometime after the raid's release in November, its challenge mode will become available. Additionally, players participating in the 10-player raid can anticipate a legendary mode, offering a highly coveted purple title.


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The kodan cubs huddle closely around the village's Claw, their eyes wide with awe and excitement as he begins to recount a harrowing tale. It's a story of bravery and strategy, in which a band of fifty fearless Tyrians embarked on a daring mission as they ascended the mountain. As the tale unfolds and you take up the challenge in this encounter, you will find a strong ally in your warclaw mount, which will aid in this new adventure!

Listen closely as the village's Claw weaves the narrative—each encounter promises unexpected challenges and thrilling surprises.

During your encounters with these enemies, you might observe a noticeable shift in difficulty compared to what you experienced in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure. We've fine-tuned these bosses to present a more advanced challenge than in previous Convergences, necessitating coordinated efforts from all party members to secure victory.

Completing Convergences in Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds will award players with essences that can be used to craft legendary gear. And, yes, these essences will be compatible with the legendary Obsidian armor available in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, as well as the new legendary spear and legendary backpack arriving in the quarterly updates for Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds. Essences from Convergences will be renamed "rift essences" (with three rarities) to streamline the rewards.

We hope you enjoyed hearing about some of the post-launch content coming to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds. We'll see you in Tyria!


[d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net]Prepurchasing any edition of Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds before the expansion launches will grant you the "Homesteader" title, the Whispering Serpents Pauldrons skin, and a box with your choice of one Serpent's Wrath weapon skin.

Visit the official store page[buy.guildwars2.com] for full details on the items included in the Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate editions.

Your glimmering heart beats with a renewed sparkle! The cosmos has granted you a new addition to your magical attire—a cape made with shimmering silk and the power to change the world. This cape is the perfect companion to the Magical Outfit and is available for 500 gems.


This fishing pole is the perfect love letter if you yearn for the endless sea. Adorned with breathtaking mystic sapphires, it will be mesmerizing for both fellow fishermen and all sea critters. This azure skin is available for 600 gems.

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Turn the tide with our amazing discounts. Starting July 26 and continuing for the next few days, select unique weapon skins will be 20% off, including the Colossal Greatsword Skin, Arcane Marksman Pistol Skin, Heretical Scholar's Staff Skin, Dragon Spirit Focus Skin, Ravensoul Greatsword Skin, and more! Jump into the fray with your favorite skins.


A little change is always a great way to spice things up! Transmutation Charges, Total Makeover Kits, Self-Style Hair Kits, and Name Change Contracts are 20% off from today until July 30.


Log into Guild Wars 2 and press 'O' to access the Black Lion Trading Company for these great offers and more!

Last week, we laid out the basic premise of the story in Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™, including an introduction to the lowland kodan who live in the Janthir isles. This week, we thought we'd take a closer look at the area you'll be exploring, plus another fuzzy denizen of the Janthir region: the warclaw, which the lowland kodan call "journeykin."

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This blog was originally published with an earlier draft of this section. It has been updated as of July 18.

Your first steps into Janthir will take place in the Lowland Shore map, home of the Lowland Kodan. Here you will be given the chance to immerse yourself amongst them to get a glimpse into their culture by assisting in daily tasks, engaging in sporting competition, and dealing with localized threats. During your time here, you will also learn of their relationship with your soon-to-be mount the Warclaw, which they call the “Journeykin”. These Journeykin play a pivotal role for the Kodan of Lowland shore as they are instrumental in their ability to traverse the terrains of Janthir as well as be the “work-Waclaw” of the Kodan to assist in the needs of utility and contest.

We’ve also heard your feedback around our more recent maps over the years being meta heavy, so for Lowland Shore we’ve decided to not include a meta. Instead, we’ve aimed to create a map without a sense of time pressure or urgency where players can focus on exploration, discovery, and world immersion similar to core Tyria maps with inspiration from more recent places like Grothmar Valley and Seitung Province.

[d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net]As you push deeper into the wilds, you'll encounter more reminders of the region's dangerous reputation. Deep forests transition into sulfurous swamps that give way to volcanic terrain. Ruins left by the ravages of time and a bloodstone crater speak of the White Mantle occupation in the time of the original Guild Wars ®. The barrier between this world and the Mists has grown thin in Janthir Syntri, resulting in magical storms called Mists Tides that sweep the area. And strange creatures, known to scholars of Tyria's past as titans, have begun appearing in greater numbers.

[d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net]While in Janthir, you'll have the opportunity to forge a bond with a warclaw mount and train a new Mastery line that grants your warclaw new skills in PvE maps! The warclaw is a highly mobile mount that can navigate with precision and agility over all kinds of terrain, and it also boasts some unique combat and exploration abilities:

• Chain Pull: Deals damage and pulls enemies closer.
• Battle Maul: Commands the warclaw to leap forward and perform an area attack, stunning enemies at the center of the attack.
• Sniff: Enhances nearby allies while detecting nearby enemies. With Mastery training, Sniff also detects nearby treasure, which your warclaw can help you dig up.
• Lance: Throws a spear to deal damage and knock down an enemy.

And here are the warclaw's Mastery tiers:

• Nine Lives: Take no fall damage while mounted on your warclaw (the base warclaw already has decreased fall damage).
• Feline Reflexes: Extend your jump by hitting the spacebar again in midair.
• Wild Claws: The warclaw performs a hit on enemies when dodging through them. Hitting at least one foe gives you endurance at the end of the dodge.
• Feral Fury: Increases damage while mounted on the warclaw. The Lance skill now stuns enemies and deals increased defiance bar damage.
• Well Rested: Increases the endurance regeneration rate for all mounts.

When designing the warclaw mount for PvE, we saw some opportunities to improve how the warclaw works in WvW. This refresh of the warclaw experience comes from our evolving understanding of our mount system since we first implemented mounts. Whether you're taking over or defending your territory, the warclaw will continue to be your steadfast companion with these updated skills:

• Chain Pull: Added a new effect, Weakened Frame, which amplifies damage inflicted on gates and walls. This will stack with Structural Vulnerability.
• Sniff: In addition to its abilities, it will also highlight damaged gates and walls for both allied and enemy structures when you're in range.
• Lance: Increased to 2 charges.

[d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net]Prepurchasing any edition of Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds before the expansion launches will grant you the “Homesteader” title, the Whispering Serpents Pauldrons skin, and a box with your choice of one Serpent’s Wrath weapon skin.Visit the official store page[buy.guildwars2.com] for full details on the items included in the Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate editions.

Note to users of third-party programs: The game may not launch or work properly after we release a new build if you use a third-party program, due to possible incompatibilities. ArenaNet cannot offer support if a third-party modification breaks, interferes with, or prevents you from playing Guild Wars or Guild Wars 2. Our policy regarding third-party programs can be found here[help.guildwars2.com].

• Updated the behavior of the away-from-keyboard timer that returns players to the character-select screen after extended periods of inactivity. In open-world maps, the time remaining before a player who has not manually moved their character or performed any skill inputs is returned to character select is now reduced to 5 minutes if the player enters combat.
  
• Removed rocks that were blocking access to mursaat tokens 19 and 31 in Ember Bay.

• Fixed an issue that prevented some legendary armor pieces from becoming invisible under the effect of thief stealth skills like Shadow Refuge.
  
• Updated the Communal Boost Bonfire with the following changes:
  
  • The spawn radius of the wood has been reduced.
    
  • Players can now place the Communal Boost Bonfire, select its boost, and interact with it, even if they are already under the effect of one of its boosts.
    
  • A Locked Bonfire status will now apply to Communal Boost Bonfires for the first two minutes after they are placed, and only the owner will be able to select a boost during that period. When it expires, it will be replaced by a Public Bonfire status, and any player can select a boost if one has not already been selected.
    
  • Players can now interact with a Communal Boost Bonfire multiple times to refresh the boost, up to a maximum of 60 minutes. The boost will not be refreshed if the maximum time limit has already been reached.

Automated Tournament Updates

• The frequency of daily automated tournaments has been reduced from 8 to 4 per day.
  
  • All EU server tournaments will occur during their standard prime-time player activity period.
    
  • On North American servers, 3 tournaments will occur during NA's standard prime-time player activity period. One tournament is timed to occur during Oceanic (OCX) prime time.
• A new weekly automated tournament has been added. This tournament happens every Sunday at the following regional times:
  
  • EU: 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7)
    
  • NA: 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7)
• A new monthly variety automated tournament will happen every second Saturday of each month at noon Pacific Time (UTC-7).
  
  • This tournament will alternate between 2v2 and 3v3 modes.
• Tournament of Legends will occur every 6 months on the third Saturday of each month at noon Pacific Time (UTC-7).

Structured PvP Titles

• The "Champion Brawler" title awarded for winning 10,000 rated arena games is now colored pink.
  
• Added a new colored tournament title, "Champion of Champions," for consistent high placement in the Kormir's Clash monthly automated tournament. Players accrue points by placing in the top 4 teams. First place awards 30 points, second place awards 15 points, and third and fourth place both award 10 points. The title is earned upon reaching 120 points.

Djinn's Dominion Objective Update

• The lamp map objective has received several updates:
  
  • The objective now requires channeling, rather than being awarded by standing within a capture circle boundary.
    
  • The special action skill is no longer granted to the entire team. Only the player who channeled the lamp will gain access to it.
    
  • Leaving the lamp arena now causes subsequent uses to apply Weakened Soul for longer durations. The maximum penalty lasts for 30 seconds, refreshing when you enter or exit the lamp.
• Special action skills have been updated:
  
  • Giant Meteor is no longer ground targeted, and it is now unblockable and requires a targeted enemy. The meteor will be attached to the target upon casting.
    
  • Disenchantment Field has been replaced by Waters of Life, a ground-targeted area of effect that revives allies and finishes downed enemies within its radius.
    
  • Waxing Doom has been replaced by Starfall, which damages and launches enemies in a radius around the player. Using Starfall on an enemy capture point will instantly neutralize it.
• Fixed an issue that prevented jumping players from being counted as present in the Market (middle) capture circle.

General

This update focuses on changing some aspects of WvW scoring, as well as some siege updates and various WvW quality-of-life improvements.

These next few changes are part of an effort to make scoring feel healthier and to make fighting for structures feel more valuable. We will monitor the impacts of these changes and adjust as needed to maintain healthy scoring as play patterns evolve.

• The victory point values from skirmishes will now be weighted based on player activity during the skirmish.
  
• The war score awarded for capturing objectives has been increased and will additionally increase based on the objective's tier when it is captured.
  
• The war score awarded for defeating an enemy player in WvW is increasing from 2 to 3.

These changes are focused on making gameplay in and around sieging structures feel healthier, paying
particular attention to the tools defenders have available. We continue to strive to make both attacking and defending feel good for players.

• Objective-contesting conditions are changing. Objectives will now become contested if the lord is put into combat or if a gate or wall is damaged below 98% health.
  
• The Emergency Waypoint tactic now spawns 3 waypoints in various locations near the lord's room in Stonemist Castle and keeps.
  
• Alacrity can no longer be applied to players using siege equipment and will be removed from players when activating siege equipment.
  
• Boons other than swiftness can no longer be applied to siege golems.
  
• Flame ram health has been lowered by 50%. Iron Hide will be applied to flame rams when they are operated.
  
• Guild siege golem supply cost has increased from 50 to 75.
  
• Arrow cart supply cost has been reduced from 40 to 25.
  
• Superior arrow cart supply cost has been reduced from 50 to 35.
  
• Trebuchet supply cost has been reduced from 100 to 50.
  
• Superior trebuchet supply cost has been reduced from 120 to 60.

Rewards

• Added a new Corrupted Hero weapon set to WvW.
  
  • Exotic versions of the weapons have been added to the Mist-Hardened Lockbox.
    
  • Ascended versions of the weapons can be acquired from a new Mystic Forge recipe utilizing rare Hero weapons, which are acquired from the Hero Weapon Reward Track.
• Added varietal seeds to herb synthesizers.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed an issue that prevented new players from entering the World vs. World game mode.
  
• Fixed an issue that prevented walls in WvW from being repaired when interacting with them.
  
• Fixed an issue that prevented "Repel the enemy attackers" events from starting in WvW.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused some items offered by the Skirmish Supervisor in WvW to be priced incorrectly.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed an issue that blocked access to mursaat token 25 in Ember Bay.
  
• Fixed an issue that prevented this week’s updates to the AFK timer from functioning correctly.

Bug Fix:

• Fixed a pricing issue that affected the Living World season complete packs. They will be 20% off again until August 2, at the proper price.

To view these patch notes in your native language please visit our forums here:

German:
https://de-forum.guildwars2.com/topic/10842-update-notes-zum-spiel-16-juli-2024/
Spanish:
https://es-forum.guildwars2.com/topic/4562-notas-de-actualizaci%C3%B3n-de-juego-16-de-julio-de-2024/
French:
https://fr-forum.guildwars2.com/topic/8127-notes-de-mise-%C3%A0-jour-du-jeu-16-juillet-2024/

Hey there! This is Indigo, the Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™ Narrative Lead, and Chloë, the expansion's Story Design Lead. We'd love to walk you through a high-level look at the Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds story to help set the stage for launch next month.

The story of Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds is a treasure trove of intrigue and lore, both past and present, and we'll be encountering a variety of allies and enemies as we venture into the long-awaited region of Janthir. We'll be picking right up where Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure™ left off.

Let's dive in!

Please note: Light spoilers ahead! We'll be teasing a little bit about the region and current affairs surrounding the start of the expansion, so if you'd rather go in totally unspoiled, you'd best skip this one!

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To get things going, let's look back at last year. Following the end of the dragon cycle, Tyria had no idea what the ramifications would be. As we learned in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, Soo-Won's death caused a powerful blast of magical instability that fractured all sorts of magical forces and barriers within Tyria. Aurene immediately went to work reestablishing herself as a filter for those magics, and stability was quickly restored, but we've only just begun to understand the consequences of that transfer of power.

Right at the onset of Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, the commander was thrown into uncharted territory. We learned that the World Spire, a powerful conduit forged by the wizard Isgarren, was fractured following that blast. The spire was one of the few barriers sitting between us and potential calamity, and it only took a moment for the denizens of a parallel realm to worm their way in. And thus, the commander was introduced to the long-fought war between the Astral Ward and the Kryptis.

[d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net]Through the story of Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, the commander aids the Astral Ward in rescuing the Wizard's Court while toppling the malevolent Kyptis king, Eparch. While the fight against the Kryptis was won, there are a lot of stories left to be told about our wizardly new "friends." The Astral Ward has proven to be a worthy ally with a benign cause, but we've barely touched the surface of some of their more questionable choices—not to mention their cantankerous leader, Isgarren. We know they helped in some ways, but why didn't they get involved sooner? Where do we even start with the fractal fiasco?

Time to pull us back to the present. While the commander—now the wayfinder—was fighting back against Eparch in Nayos, the threat of the Kryptis didn't go unnoticed by the rest of Tyria. In fact, that threat was very much noticed, and nations started talking. At the start of Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds, the commander will receive an invitation to the inaugural meeting of the Tyrian Alliance—and oh boy, do they have a lot of thoughts about our latest demonic invaders. After everything the world has endured, Tyria's patience with destruction is limited.

While we want to keep some of the minutia surrounding the Tyrian Alliance under our hats for now (including our lavish host of guest appearances), in addition to providing the player with a new directive, the alliance also gives us the ability to demonstrate Tyria's growth outside of the main story path. What's happening in the rest of the world? How are things progressing when we're in the thick of adventure?

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One of the results of this first Tyrian Alliance meeting will send the commander and a very small team of allies into the dangerous wilds of the Janthir region—starting due north of Divinity's Reach, over the Krytan border. The initial focus of our mission is to establish a diplomatic connection with a small faction of kodan. The lowlanders, while hesitant, welcome us into their village—we spend some time getting to know their culture as we explore the Lowland Shore (which we'll dig into a bit more in a moment!).

Partway through the story, we'll be pulled even further into Janthir. That's when we'll make our way into the isles themselves. The bay is rich with history—bloody, brutal, sullen history. And we've never strayed too close until now! We know that Saul and his fledgling White Mantle went to the isles in search of something, leaving with an Eye of Janthir. We also know that other conspicuous figures have ventured into the region, too. On the first island we reach, Janthir Syntri, we'll begin to unravel the tragic history behind the ruined village of Gavril.

But that's a good spot to pause because, most importantly: bears.

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One of the most exciting things to dig into has been our new faction of lowland kodan, who have called Janthir home for many generations. Despite the region being viciously dangerous and inhospitable, they are expert survivalists and have carved out a comfortable—even cozy—way of life in these lands. All lowlanders are capable fighters and learn survival tactics from the time they are cubs. The wayfinder will spend much of their time in Janthir learning about—and learning from—the lowlanders, as they have much to teach.

As a population isolated from their northern kodan cousins for so long and living in a much different environment, they're a little different than the kodan we are familiar with. Perhaps the most notable difference lies in their spiritual belief system. Unlike other kodan, who revere the will and balance of Koda, the lowland kodan hold in reverence the environment, the relationship they maintain with it, and the responsibility they have as stewards of the land. Rather than viewing themselves as enlightened protectors chosen by Koda, lowlanders act out of a duty to maintain necessary balance in a harsh place where taking is easier than giving and survival can be difficult.

These differences trickle down through other aspects of their society. Kodan leadership is typically a partnership between a spiritual mouthpiece of Koda, called a Voice, and a physical protector, called a Claw. However, the lowland kodan have a Claw as their sole leader, a feature of their society that goes back as far as anyone can remember. The Claw is not without balance, though: a council that represents key roles in the village lends the Claw perspective and advice.

As the wayfinder spends more time with the lowland kodan and begins to earn their trust, we'll gain more glimpses into their lives and their history as denizens of Janthir.

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The inhabitants of Tyria are on the cusp of a new era. It's time for nations to ally and work together on a more global scale. Those seeds of alliance were planted under the threat of the Elder Dragons, but the need did not end with the Elder Dragons. As new threats rise, it's good to have friends on your side. What better place to start than with people living next door? The lowland kodan might prove to be valuable allies...if we can earn their trust and convince them it's worthwhile to join the global conversation.

We're so excited to be able to give some first looks into the narrative of Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds! There is so much fun existing lore and history to dig into and build upon with new stories and characters. We can't wait for you to experience it all!

[d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net]Prepurchasing any edition of Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds before the expansion launches will grant you the "Homesteader" title, the Whispering Serpents Pauldrons skin, and a box with your choice of one Serpent's Wrath weapon skin.

Visit the official store page for full details on the items included in the Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate editions.