Guild Wars 2 Unveils Newest Living World Chapter: The Icebrood Saga

Guild Wars 2 revealed the next part of their episodic in-game content, The Living World. This next chapter is called The Icebrood Saga, and a prologue begins on September 17th. This will give players an early taste of this new conflict and is entitled Bound by Blood. The entire Icebrood Saga will be free for players who own Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire, and Episode One will release this autumn.

The Icebrood Saga marks the beginning of a new adventure in Guild Wars 2’s storyline. It is a time of tentative celebration for all the races of Tyria in the wake of the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik’s heroic defeat by the members of Dragon’s Watch. But whispers from the Northern Shiverpeaks tell tales of ancient forces stirring from their slumber. While the Sons of Svanir—a renegade cult of Norn who have turned away from worshipping the Spirits of the Wild—devote themselves to the elder ice dragon Jormag, stories of the dragon’s strength and virtues begin to spread alongside its corrupting influence.

New features will be introduced in The Icebrood Saga, such as Strike Missions. These are epic 10-man boss fights, that combine the coordination of raids with the large-scale conflict of a Guild Wars 2 meta event. New bosses will populate Grothmar Valley and the Northern Shiverpeaks, such as the newly awakened Drakkar. This was first seen in the original Guild Wars. New masteries will also be available in Episode One and Episode Two, that reflect the history and influence of the Spirits of the Wild.

Another announcement was made today. The first Guild Wars 2 expansion, Heart of Thorns is free for all players who own or purchase Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire, starting today. Anyone who previously purchased Heart of Thorns will receive a Veteran’s Pack of in-game items, including a unique Mordrem Glider, the “Vanguard” title, and a voucher for one of sixteen different gem store armor skins.

In addition to this new Living World chapter, NCSOFT and ArenaNet are also debuting a variety of Guild Wars 2 product partnerships, including:

• A 20th-anniversary art book in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics. Launching in the spring of 2020, the art book will feature an expansive collection of never-before-seen concept art, production material, and creator commentary from the Guild Wars franchise

• Guild Wars 2 Funko Pop! figures featuring fan-favorite characters. Aurene, Palawa Joko, and Rytlock Brimstone will be available beginning January 2020

• New Guild Wars 2-inspired apparel from Hot Topic and Insert Coin. The clothing range features a new t-shirt and hoodie designs

• New Guild Wars 2 mousepads and phone cases from Razer

• A music streaming partnership with global entertainment and streaming service TIDAL that makes the original musical scores of Path of Fire, Heart of Thorns, and Living World seasons two, three, and four available for listening across the TIDAL platform.