'Guild Wars 2' expansion news: 'Path of Fire' launched; gameplay changes detailed

Dragon's Watch commanders should ready themselves for another adventure in Tyria, as ArenaNet launches the second expansion for "Guild Wars 2" titled "Path of Fire."

In the new expansion for the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG), players will have to rally the heroes of Tyria to go into the newly added game area called Crystal Desert in order to stop the game world's god of fire and war, Balthazar. The expansion, along with the new storyline, which continues where the previous Living World season 3 left off, will also include new gameplay features that can dramatically change how players traverse the game's environments.

Of the added gameplay features, the developers are most excited about the player mounts, as is the tradition with most open-world MMORPGs. These mounts will include the following: the Raptor, essentially tough and quick raptor-like mounts that can cross great distances with just a few leaps; the Skimmer, manta-ray-like creatures that float a few feet off the surface and are perfect for crossing bodies of water; the Jackal, magical hounds that can teleport short distances; and the Springer, a giant bunny that can perform long vertical leaps.

Another important gameplay feature which will be available for players who buy the expansion is the new additional elite specializations for all the nine professions or classes of the game. These specializations are as follows: Holosmith for the Engineer class, Firebrand for the Guardian, Deadeye for the Thief, Spellbreaker for the Warrior, Mirage for the Mesmer, Scourge for the Necromancer, Weaver for the Elementalist, Soulbeast for the Ranger, and Renegade for the relatively new Revenant class.

Apart from the new story, mounts, and specializations, the game will also feature new rewards for achievements and quests. A new Bounty quest mechanic will also be introduced in Crystal Desert areas. It will introduce scheduled boss events in the area where players will need to help each other to take enemy bosses down.

One important thing to note is that players who did not buy the expansion will be locked out of the new content mentioned above. Those interested can purchase the expansion at $29.99 for the Standard Edition, $54.99 for the Deluxe, and $79.99 for the Ultimate Edition.

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