Now that Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure has released it’s final major update for the arc, Game Director Josh Daviss takes some time to look at ArenaNet’s journey so far, and teases what’s to come.
In an article posted earlier today, Davis looks back on how the annual expansion model has fundamentally changed their approach to content development. He started by looking back at the reason for the shift in development – that content needed to be more consistent, the various game modes needed better support, and the ArenaNet team wanted a better work-life balance.
However, it seems that the team didn’t hit their goals across the board, but they’ve continued to strive to get there, and have decided to make some improvements to their update cadence and quality in the future. Players can expect some novel changes to the way the story, world, and gameplay systems will shift when the next expansion is released.
When it comes to the story, Davis states that they learned that “more isn’t always better.” Players can expect a continuance of the Astral Ward arc, and that will be introduced in a few new maps. As of now, ArenaNet is focused on having two maps ready for the next expansion at its launch, but they will release a final map at the second quarterly update, with map expansions as the arc progresses. With the periodic nature of these releases, content will focus on taking players to locales within the three maps to expand where they spend their time – taking players to familiar locations they’ve been introduced to throughout the story.
Finally, Davis was tight-lipped on new features, stating SoTO was more of a subdued expansion when it comes to trying unfamiliar or untested elements. Luckily, the next major update is set to be a little more ambitious, and ArenaNet is excited to show off what they have been working on.
Davis left us with a short video showing off the environment for the next X-pac. If you’re as excited about the upcoming content as we are, stay tuned as the team plans to unveil more information next week.
