Guild Wars 2is gearing up for the launch ofEnd of Dragons, its third full expansion pack. In anticipation of its launch,Guild Wars 2has been showing off tons of features players can look forward to in the new expansion–most recently, a short video compilation of its nine new Elite Specializations coming for its nine existing classes.
Each of the nine professions inGuild Wars 2has five core specializations, each with their own special active and passive abilities.Heart of Thornsintroduced Elite Specializations–powerful specializations that completely change how a class plays and give access to weapon combinations the class otherwise can’t use. WithEnd of Dragons, each class will have three Elite Specializations available, though a character can only have one active at a time.
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Guild Wars 2has previously shown off the new Elite Specializationscoming inEnd of Dragons, but this video quickly showcases some of the most exciting features from the extended trailers. From the Bladesworn’s explosive Dragon Slash attacks, the Vindicator’s Legendary Alliance Stance, and the Virtuoso’s enchanting Bladesongs and illusions, characters of any class will have tons of new tricks–and new weapon combinations–to play with in the upcoming expansion.
Guild Wars 2has given players the chance to play the new Elite Specializations in three beta events so far, and has already made a number of balance changes to them. The fourth beta event will be taking place in the first days of December, giving players the opportunity to try out these changes and give further feedback, and to takeGuild Wars 2’snew Siege Turtle mountfor a spin.
Most players are optimistic about the new Elite Specializations being added inEnd of Dragons. Since their inceptioninHeart of Thorns, Elite Specializations have been an exciting addition to the game, adding a unique element to character classes not available with core specializations alone. The Elite Specializations are especially flavorful, flashy, and exciting, and players have loved what they have seen from them in the beta events so far.
Some players have reservations about the new Elite Specializations, though. As their name suggests, the Elite Specializations are strong–some believe too strong. Powerful mechanics can be hard to balance, and some previous Elite Specializations have been either too strong or too weak in comparison to others, especially consideringGuild Wars 2doesn’t use the “Holy Trinity"of Tank, Healer, and DPS. Some other players don’t like that Elite Specializations are essentially required, meaning builds that only use Core Specializations or weapons can’t remain competitive with newer ones easily. Players will have to try out the Elite Specializations for themselves in the next Beta Event, and inEnd of Dragonsitself, and judge if ArenaNet successfully delivers compelling gameplay without breaking the delicate balance between classes.
Guild Wars 2is available now on PC, withEnd of Dragonsreleasing in February 2022.
