In a lengthy news post addressing the Guild Wars 2 community, representatives of ArenaNet talk about what’s in store for the almost-decade-old MMORPG, including a confirmation of a new expansion.

With the End of Dragons expansion, its name could certainly imply a wrap up of sorts, but Guild Wars 2 has seen good growth: number of active players doubled, and the expansion itself outselling the previous release, Path of Fire. After delaying its Steam release, the MMORPG now tentatively planned to launch on the platform within 2022 to further allow more growth.

Importantly, Living Story Season 1 will be available for FREE, even for free accounts, with the first episode launching 19 April. This content update had been previously unavailable outside of a summary to players who weren’t around for the initial release, a narrative that had long standing effects on the world of Tyria, seen in Kessex Hills and Lion’s Arch itself.

The roadmap is given as follows, dates for updates to World vs World to be decided at a later point:

• March 15—End of Dragons Polish Build
• March 29—Super Adventure Festival, End of Dragons Polish Build
• April 19—Living World Season 1 Episode 1, Aetherblade Hideout Challenge Mode
• May 10—Xunlai Jade Junkyard Challenge Mode
• May 24—Living World Season 1 Episode 2, Kaineng Overlook Challenge Mode, New Legendary Weapon Variant
• June 7—Dragon Bash Festival, Harvest Temple Challenge Mode
• June 28—Balance Update, New Legendary Weapon Variant

The expansion confirmation is a really early one, considering 5 year gap between Path of Fire and End of Dragons, with 2 Living Story updates in between. There seems much to look forward to, so stay tuned.