While the next expansion for Guild Wars 2 is titled Secrets of the Obscure, the ArenaNet developers clearly do not want the mechanics coming with this expansion to be obscure. That’s why they’ve put together a whole page explaining how Relics will work when the expansion launches on August 22nd, with 40 core Relics and 12 expansion Relics. The former will be available to all players, while the latter are available only to owners of the expansion, but all of them will have the same basic function of allowing players more build customization.
So how do Relics work? The two shown in the preview both trigger upon using an Elite skill, with the core Relic summoning crystals to buff the player and nearby party members while the Expansion relic blocks projectiles and sucks enemies closer. Ultimately, the goal is to separate Rune effects from attribute bonuses and give players access to the effects in a different equipment slot, and the studio hopes that give players more build variety overall. Whether or not that will be the case remains to be seen.
