The upcoming expansion for Guild Wars 2, called “Secrets of the Obscure,” aims to provide a fresh start for the game’s narrative. The expansion will mark the end of the 10-year-long Dragon Cycle storyline and introduce new storytelling territory. The narrative team plans to draw inspiration from fresh sources, including Dungeons and Dragons and FromSoftware’s soulsborne titles.
The expansion’s plotlines are designed to convey a sense of moving forward, as the world of Guild Wars 2 rejects both gods and dangerous Elder Dragons from the previous arc. The narrative explores the world finding its own next steps, reflecting the studio’s own process of finding its footing in a post-dragon world.
The narrative approach in “Secrets of the Obscure” takes inspiration from Dark Souls and Elden Ring, with an emphasis on visual storytelling and environmental storytelling. The game aims to strike a balance between character-driven drama and history-driven drama, bringing a more mature voice to the story while still maintaining moments of levity.
The campaign story revolves around the disappearance of a mysterious wizard’s tower, which has intrigued players for a long time. The new expansion introduces a mostly new cast to explore deeper mysteries and make the story newbie-friendly while referencing historical events in the game.
The narrative team is excited about the new expansion and believes it will make a bold statement following the end of the Dragon Cycle. Overall, “Secrets of the Obscure” is an ambitious project to modernize Guild Wars 2’s storytelling and promises to be an exciting addition to the game.
