GW2 Expansion To Be Revealed In July; Summer Content Plans Include Twisted Marionette

Guild Wars 2's latest content drops today, as the Icebrood Saga moves toward a conclusion in Judgment. Last week's reveal gave players plenty to look forward to, and today's news from ArenaNet gives them even more.

On July 27, ArenaNet will reveal the first details of the End of Dragons expansion via a livestream that offers significant info about the expansion's setting and story. Players will also learn when the beta will take place and how they can participate. To prime that pump, ArenaNet revealed six pieces of concept art from the upcoming expansion:

That's still three months away, and the actual launch of the expansion won't be for some time after that. Fortunately, ArenaNet has learned from its previous pre-expansion content gap woes and has a number of updates planned for the near future, which it detailed in the form of a summer roadmap.

On May 11, GW2 will get a skills and balance update for all the game's professions and elite specializations. Starting May 25, past Living World episodes will be free to all players who log into the game, with episodes being unlocked on a weekly basis. Completing a meta-achievement for playing through the content will award players with a voucher that will grant them a precursor weapon to aid in crafting a new legendary weapon from End of Dragons.

On July 13, a long-absent boss fight encounter returns to the game. The Twisted Marionette, last playable during Living World Season 1 all the way back in 2014, will return for a limited time, with some "small updates to bring it closer to the most current design standards of Guild Wars 2."

The Legendary Armory will also launch on July 13, giving players a "one-stop storage feature" for legendary weapons. Simply store a legendary in the Armory and it will be available for all of your characters -- no more swapping required. As a proud owner of four of those glittery monstrosities, I approve.

Also on the docket for the summer season are the Fractal Rush community event and the annual Dragon Bash festival. It's shaping up to be a busy summer for Guild Wars 2 fans, and the event schedule should help keep fans entertained as they wait for the expansion.