Guild Wars 2 Third Expansion 2021

Cantha concept art

As I live and breathe, I do believe that I will see Shing Jea Monastery again…! Back in March 2020, ArenaNet confirmed that they’re working on a third expansion.

Then on August 25th, 2020 (Guild Wars 2’s 8th birthday), they released a trailer listing 2021 as the launch date. Not much else is known about the expansion at this point, but long-time fans will recognize some familiar territory. Nostalgia, be still. There are still many months to go.

Other news for November of this year involve a Steam release. Although this may be very cool news to people who love sharing on Steam, veteran players who launch from GW2 directly should be wary. There is no way to convert existing accounts, so if you have characters that you’re dearly attached to it’s best to stick with your current launch client.

Also, there are underwater mounts! Can’t speak from personal experience yet, but it looks like a good way to bypass those pesky nagas.

Extra Life – Play Games – Heal Kids

Extra Life

November 2nd is national Game Day! I never realized there was such a thing until a close friend of mine who has been playing Guild Wars 2 lately mentioned something about it. Apparently when you login to the game, there’s an event announcement for Extra Life 2019. This event highlights a new mission for ArenaNet — it’s about giving our kids a safe place to play, and helping kids that need medical care. Follow the link to read more about Team ArenaNet and their contribution to the Children’s Miracle Network.

It looks like joining Extra Life is mainly for gamers who stream — if that’s not you, there are still ways to help. You can simply donate to a fundraiser participant, or directly to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

And if you’d rather contribute through the Guild Wars 2 game itself, there are Black Lion Trading Post donation items available. Each purchase helps Team ArenaNet reach their fundraising goal.

Extra Life Donation Bundle:

  • Mini Guardian Angel Aurene
  • 5 x Extra Life Karma Boosters
  • 5 x Temporary Selfless Potions

Also, players will receive an achievement and title called “The Extra Life” for logging in between October 25th and November 4th. Read the official Guild Wars 2 News and Announcements page to see the details.

Guild Wars 2 – Living World Season 5 – The Icebrood Saga

Icebrood Saga

The newest installment of Guild Wars 2, the upcoming Season 5, is to be released on September 17, 2019. There’s very little I can say about this new season from a contextual standpoint, due to my recreational technology fast of the past few years. Instead I’m going to speak about this new chapter from the standpoint of a former gamer contemplating a return after a lengthy hiatus.

Last time I ventured into the lands of Tyria, it was 2015. Around that time the Heart of Thorns Living World Season 3 was new, and the Revenant profession had been unveiled. Considering how long ago that was, I don’t find it unusual that my memory of the events is a bit foggy. Seems like it was a Sylvari incident, with plants running amok, and storyline involving Caithe. Maybe there’s a concise storyline video somewhere that can help one accurately “catch up” on what’s transpired since that time.

Equally important to the storyline continuity is a general grasp of the gameplay mechanics. As I recall, wing gliders had recently been added to the game, adding an additional dimension to mobility. The mastery system had undergone a major revision, and an offhand weapon system had been introduced, offering player characters a new range of skills much like the secondary system of yore. In summary, the gradual learning curve of Guild Wars 2 has become significantly steeper since the games initial release in the late summer of 2012.

For someone who hasn’t been playing for the past few years, I’d say that the game almost has to be relearned. I’ve been weighing the decision for quite some time, comparing pros and cons, and wondering if it’s a pastime I should leave behind me for good. Was I simply taking a long break? Looks like I have about 1 week to decide.

GW2 WIki Anniversary

P.S. It seems fitting that I link to the most robust resource for the game, the official Guild Wars 2 Wiki!

Nipp Mousetrap

They say that good things come in small packages. Although usually I reserve that phrase for tiny treats or those nifty little bottles of travel shampoo, I think in this scenario it definitely applies. I’m talking about Nipp Mousetrap, of course. She may be diminutive of stature, but this calico Charr is a creative powerhouse. Her alter ego (shall we call her Aywren?) has quite the internet presence. Where should I begin?

White Charr

If you’re on Tumblr and you’re part of the Guild Wars 2 community, maybe you’ve already seen her. Otherwise known as White Charr, Nipp has a great Guild Wars 2 blog that she regularly updates with all kinds of GW2 fan art, timely news, and random bits of in-game humor. If you enjoy art and like to stay in-the-know about the latest Guild Wars 2 updates, following her is highly recommended.

White Charr

Not only does Aywren appreciate art, she’s an artist herself. And a writer to boot! Below is the cover she drew for “Dreigiau Book 1,” the first of 4 books in her Dreigiau series. Also, if you have a Kindle, your needs have been provided for. To date, she has 2 Kindle Edition eBooks, the first of which is available free at Amazon. Readers of the fantasy genre, I can’t think of any reason not to check it out.

Dreigiau Cover

This is just a small sampling of the artwork and creative writing of one Nipp Mousetrap. To stay informed about ongoing and new Sygnus Network projects, maybe the best thing to do is subscribe to Aywren’s blog.

Last but not least, Aywren is the guild leader of Wayrift [WAY] (along with her buddy and co-conspirator Syn)!

Trivia:

  • We’re named after the Wayrift Webcomic
  • We call the Dragonbrand server our home
  • Aywren’s warrior Tsuya Tai likes Garlic Bread and frequently carries it in his bags
Garlic Bread

More Wayrift [WAY] Guildies

Last month I posted some screenshots of fellow Wayrift [WAY] guild mates. One thing I immediately noticed was that I mostly had screenshots of the same few close pals. While that’s to be expected, since then I’ve made an effort to create more screenshot opportunities with the guildies I don’t see as often.

Jenna, Gavin, Haverhill, & Jo Cur

The characters that appear are: Tharash, Korrik, Jo Cur, Armorclad, Oso Cagey, Haverhill, Komradette Midna, Zeb Ya, Tsuya Tai, Crummy Goggles, Ji Whitehawk, Jenna, Goobex, Solgae, Bridget, Liitle Dude, Karma Tornado, Celesteana, & Gavin Whitehawk

Komrade Markovski

Markovski

Who is that Charr? He’s good at jump puzzles, is patient and kind, has a sixth sense when it comes to finding treasure chests, and shares neat songs like the one below. Good thing he was born. =)

Oh, and he likes to take naps.

Guild Wars 2 – Wayrift [WAY]

I’ve taken quite a few screenshots since I started playing Guild Wars 2, but realized that I hadn’t posted any since joining the Wayrift [WAY] guild. Here are some pics of new friends, as well as longtime pals.

Crummy, Gavin, & Tsuya
Crummy Goggle, Gavin, & Tsuya Tai waiting for the Shatterer to appear

Although I don’t have screenshots of everyone, many of the guild mates I see most often are depicted here. The characters that appear are:  Tsuya Tai, Zeb Ya, Hannover Phist, Ling Si, Jadyn, Karma Tornado, Komrade Markovski, Hermad, Raven Kihaku, Chiang Shi, Ji Whitehawk, Jo Cur, Haverhill, and Gavin Whitehawk.

edit: Posted more guild screenshots here: “More Wayrift [WAY] Guildies” (added 2/15/13).

Read more about Wayrift [WAY] at the guild website.