[Play now] ArenaNet, developer of Guild Wars 2, has just announced the game will now be Free-for-Play. What is “Free-for-Play”? Well, the core game will definitely be free, but players wanting to explore new lands and features will have to buy the upcoming expansions, which starts with Heart of Thorns, launching 23 October. Simply register for an account, download the game, and start playing!
A new Raids feature was also announced for Heart of Thorns. Raids will be 10-player instanced content where players must use newly acquired abilities to overcome ever-increasing challenges, and eventually epic boss encounters. ArenaNet is releasing the first raid in three parts, shortly after the expansion releases. This will give time to players to earn new abilities in the Mastery system.
ArenaNet’s take on raids will be distinctly Guild Wars 2, factoring in the action-based combat system in the game to replace UI-gazing with active strategies such as weapon and ability changes on the fly in combat, skill combos, dodge rolling, positioning for attacks, and the ability to heal for every class. They don’t rely on the conventional tank, healer and damage dealer ‘trinity’ to take on challenges.
Instead, all players in a group will need to step up and support, control and do damage in encounters in order for the group to succeed. Also true to form for fans of the game, raids in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns will deliver epic encounters and massive boss fights, providing enduring challenges for players to overcome, replay, and refine as they pursue awesome legendary rewards.
