It’s August 1st, which means we’re exactly 22 days away from the launch of Guild Wars 2’s next expansion as Secrets of the Obscure drops on August 22nd. Ahead of the release, ArenaNet has been trickling out lore and teasers, and today, that means a shallow dive into rift hunting and the kryptis – “a fresh, fleshy army of foes to face.” We’re digging the consonance there.
OK, so what the heck are the kryptis?
“Early in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, you’ll discover rifts—tears in the fabric of reality—across Tyria through which strange, demonic forces are appearing. These enemies are the Kryptis. […] [F]or today’s purposes it’s enough to know that the Kryptis are mean and meaty, and it’s up to you and some new allies to find a way to stop their incursions from the Mists. Chief among your new allies will be members of the Astral Ward (an organization you’ll have to play the story to learn more about). After joining forces with them, you’ll get access to the Heart of the Obscure (a mysterious and powerful ancient artifact) and its associated Mastery line – essential components in your quest to hunt and close rifts. While the story continues on from there, rift hunting will become a permanent option for on-demand open-world content.”
You’re going to want to know what rift hunting is next, huh. ArenaNet has obliged here too, and MMO gamers know the drill; players will be seeking out and fully opening baby rifts across the game world, killing everything that emerges, and defeating the kryptis boss, thereby looting its essence and using it to build gear. The studio says that initially, rifts will open in “several explorable zones” across Tyria, Cantha, and the Crystal Desert, as well as the new expansion zones. While the team is planning more challenging rifts “in a future update,” the rifts do scale to the player group, with the implication being they can be tackled solo.
“The enemies coming out of a rift scale with the size of the group fighting it,” ArenaNet concludes. “That means that you can party up with friends for rift hunts, weave them into other open-world activities you’re doing, and even help out if you come across a stranger fighting to close a rift in the wild.”
