Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons

Lore & Background

After the events of 'The Icebrood Saga', the dragon cycle that has sustained and blighted Tyria for ages is collapsing. Over two centuries ago, the Empire of the Dragon severed all bonds with central Tyria and Elona. Cantha has its own history of turmoil and triumph, reflected in ancient landmarks, enduring artistry, and modern life. The Jade Wind petrified everything it touched, devastating the southeastern coastal regions. A stone sea holds no food—but it has absorbed centuries of magic. Canthan innovators have long sought practical applications for the material now known as 'dragonjade', achieving solutions undreamed of elsewhere in the world.

The expansion story deals with the effects on the world due to the amount of magic released upon the death of the five elder dragons, resolving many plot threads from the game's ongoing storyline. The players meet the sixth elder dragon, Soo-Won, the dragon of water, who has been cleansing and controlling the released magic, filtering it through her to create Dragonjade, and effectively stopping the planet from collapsing. The commander learns that the five other elder dragons were the offspring of Soo-Won and used to be benevolent creatures, only becoming corrupt because of greed and the amount of magic they consumed. During an explosion caused by the Aetherblades, Soo-Won leaves the reactor and becomes quickly corrupt with magic. The world then begins to fall apart with the combined magic of the Elder dragons, called the Draconic Void. The commander journeys through Cantha to extract the Void from Soo-Won and restart the dragon cycle.

Upon the void's extraction, Soo-Won dissipates and Aurene absorbs her magic, replacing her as the filter of magic throughout the world. The cycle of the dragons finally ends and a new era begins: the Age of Aurene. Months later, the commander is invited to a party hosted by Rama, who has formed a new detective agency with Gorrik. They investigate missing jade miners at Gyala Delve, encountering demons and a shape-shifting demon called the 'Ravenous Wanderer'. The commander faces their past to charge a Recollector device, and Rama uses an ancient Kurzick rune to seal the demon. In the aftermath, the commander realizes their emotional healing is gradual.

Reader's Guide

Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons is significant as the third expansion for Guild Wars 2, marking the return to the continent of Cantha after its absence since Guild Wars Factions. It introduces several new gameplay systems: the siege turtle, the game's first multiplayer mount; a fishing system; and the Jade Bot companion, which provides additional perks. The expansion also adds four new strike missions with challenge modes, expanding endgame content. The story concludes major plot threads from the game's ongoing narrative, including the death of the five elder dragons and the introduction of the sixth elder dragon, Soo-Won. The expansion resolves the dragon cycle by having Aurene absorb Soo-Won's magic, ushering in the 'Age of Aurene'. The post-launch content at Gyala Delve continues the story with a detective agency and a confrontation with the Ravenous Wanderer. Reception on Metacritic was 83/100, with GameSpace calling it 'a marvelous new frontier for Guild Wars 2' that 'delivers an astounding new adventure on a stupendous scale.'

Did You Know?

• End of Dragons was released on February 28, 2022, and made available for pre-purchase on July 26, 2021.
• The expansion returns to the continent of Cantha, first seen in Guild Wars Factions.