I wasn’t entirely convinced that the warclaw mount re-introduced for Janthir Wilds would actually be a mount I used on the daily in Guild Wars 2, but I’m happy to say my skepticism was unwarranted, as it turns out to be an enormously useful tool, both for its jumping and its accessibility in combat. So I’m approaching today’s Guild Wars 2 dev blog with interest, as it’s all about how ArenaNet actually designed – or rather, redesigned – the warclaw to be a mount people would care about outside of PvP.
The studio says it hoped to upgrade the warclaw the same way it revitalized the skyscale back in Secrets of the Obscure, only with, you know, the added benefit of cats being awesome.
“We leaned into capturing the essence of a cat’s playful nature and incorporated feline behaviors into the mount’s design,” the team says. “Watching how cats sneak, pounce, and explore places they shouldn’t be in gave us the ability to make a mount that feels not only functional, but also full of personality.”
“Unlike other mounts, which often excel in specific areas, the warclaw was designed to be more of a generalist. It features a dash, but not one as powerful as the raptor’s. It can go vertical, but not leap as high as the springer. It’s fast, though not as quick as the roller beetle. And while it can navigate aerial spaces, it’s not as adept as the skyscale. While the team didn’t set out to make a jack-of-all-trades mount, that’s exactly where the design landed, and the result is an incredibly fun and adaptable mount for a variety of situations.”
