Sneak Peek into the Upcoming Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity Update, The Only Way

Even though ArenaNet’s hit MMORPG, Guild Wars 2, has been progressing the narrative of its sixth expansion, Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity, at a fair clip, the fact that the first quarterly update was more focused on core systems and features has left fans hungry for more plot and lore. Thankfully, the second quarterly update, titled The Only Way, is right around the corner and rife with new story content! ArenaNet and NCSOFT were kind enough to give us a small sneak peek at the goings on in Tyria. 

So far, the Commander and allies have been racing against the Inquest to uncover the mysteries and ancient Seer magics of the remote island of Castora. Although it seemed the Inquest and their leader, Director Vloxx, were deterred for a time from using the Ancora staff, the Commander is betrayed, and the director made off with the artefact, leaving our hero to fend off the cruel Biomancer, Sebb. The allied forces must now press further into the wilds of Castora in pursuit, while also dealing with a cursed Isgarren and heavy Inquest resistance.

Our short preview started off with the first story act of the update, On The Threshold, wherein we hunted the fled director while also trying our best to help our afflicted Seer comrade. The new area being introduced, Eternity’s Garden, was a beauty to behold, featuring lush vegetation and ancient structures, conflicting with the dark and mechanical structures of the Inquest. Players may even find themselves interacting with a surprising new host of allies along the way.

As our adventure continued, we were transported to a later, much grander battle in the Seer Forge via admin magic. Regretfully, we can’t go into detail, though we can say that the fight both looked great and had some interesting mechanics, such as requiring players to form separate strike teams to hit different targets simultaneously!

In addition to progressing the narrative, The Only Way brings with it some fun new gear, cosmetics, and masteries. In terms of weaponry, two new Legendary accessories are available: Stella Radians and Strife Unending. The former can be earned by taking part in PvE events and comes with a lovely cosmetic flair. 

The latter, on the other hand, is tied to the World vs World game mode. Once activated, the accessory will spawn an emblem of crossed swords over the player's head, with varying effects denoting its tier. Additionally, the player will have a temporary blue glow on their hands. Player-placed Siege equipment is also affected, adding new effects and even models in some cases!

Both the Castoran Survivalist and Wild Castoran Magic Masteries receive new extensions as a part of The Only Way. The Survivalist will be able to gain Combat Maneuvers, whereas the Wild Castoran Magic track will provide the Residual Mirror Magic boon.

Looking at the more cosmetic side of things, a new Raptor and Springer skin (the Swinftsping Raptor and Enchanted Springer, respectively) will be unlockable. Additionally, the new Flex emote will allow players to show off their hard-earned gains.

We’re looking forward to seeing what the newest update has in store for both the Commander and the oddly compelling Director. Though there is still one quarterly update on the horizon, we’re eager to see how messing with ancient Seer magic will blow up in our faces!

The Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity update, The Only Way, is set to release on the 12th of May!