ArenaNet has just announced that Spirit Vale, the first wing of Guild Wars 2’s first post-expansion raid, is launching next week on November 17th. Says the studio,
“Starting with Spirit Vale, players will quickly discover that raids in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns are all about the same distinct game play mechanics that they have come to appreciate in the core game, with action-oriented combat where success is based on skill and the focus is on real-time strategies. Conquering the challenges in Heart of Thorns raids will require active strategies, not UI-gazing, with weapon and ability changes on the fly, skill combos, dodge rolling, and positioning for attacks being keys for conquering the content. One of the main aspects of game play in Guild Wars 2 is the versatility of each profession in the game, including the ability for all professions to heal. This will give raiders a large amount of freedom with party composition without reliance on the conventional tank, healer and damage dealer ‘trinity’ to take on challenges.”
The enhanced squad UI, which allows groups of 10 to 50 people, also arrives with the raid.
The plot:
Allies in Need – A Pact squad has gone missing in northern Maguuma, and you and your allies are their only hope for recovery. But the deadly forest isn’t the only risk to the rescue operation—the area holds dark secrets and strange magic.
As promised, raid rewards include thematic ascended armor, minipets, weapons, skins, and eventually, the path to legendary armor. The update is free, and so are these screenshots!
