Even though it was a feature promised to help define the new endgame of Guild Wars 2 following its recent expansion, ArenaNet has officially suspended work “indefinitely” on adding any future legendary weapons to the game.
Last fall, when the game’s expansion, Heart of Thorns, released, ArenaNet detailed an ambitious plan to add a new host of rewards to the MMO’s endgame. On top of the 20 legendary weapons in the game at launch, the developer planned to overhaul the system and add 16 more.
The idea of legendary weapons stems from the push to have that ultimate piece of shiny gear at the end of truly mastering the game. Players have to explore and fight their way through the entirety of Guild Wars 2, collect an impressive amount of crafting materials, and follow lengthy quest lines, just for the opportunity to craft a single one of the weapons.
Announcing the release of only the forth of the 16 new weapons however, ArenaNet President Mike O’Brian broke the bad news. “Last year we talked about plans to gradually build out a second set of legendary weapons through live content updates. That’s a big responsibility. We have a team of six developers working on that, who could work on it for years to come,” he explains.
Continuing, “As game director I have to make tough trade-offs. One thing I believe is that we have to focus on the core game first before taking on additional responsibilities… So, after shipping Chuka and Champawat [the forth legendary], I’ve asked that we indefinitely suspend work on new legendary weapons. This team of developers will instead shift their efforts back to Living World style content, building new journeys and events for everyone to participate in.”
Early this year ArenaNet detailed their seasonal update plan for Guild Wars 2. Every few months will see a major update come to the game, adding new content, and new ways to play. The first of the year, called the Winter Update added gliding in the majority of the Guild Wars 2 and reworked one of the game’s world bosses, among other things.
Chuka and Champawat, a short bow and the final new legendary weapon, will be added in the forthcoming Spring Update. It joins the legendary axe, Astralaria, the legendary pistol H.O.P.E., and the legendary staff, Nevermore, as the only second-generation legendaries that will be added to the game. As we continue to learn more about the future of Guild Wars 2, you’ll find it right here on Gamespresso.