[previewyoutube=gZFsrO_BqCk;full][/previewyoutube] [i]Note: Originally published at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) on August 20, 2024.[/i] Hello, Tyrians, Happy release day! When [url=https://buy.guildwars2.com/janthir-wilds][i]Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™[/i][/url] launches in just a few short hours, you'll begin a bold adventure into a dangerous and untamed wilderness. The denizens of Tyria are determined to recover and build a new future, and cooperation with neighbors is crucial. Your mission: befriend the lowland kodan and uncover the mysteries of a land that was once home to the enigmatic mursaat and their White Mantle followers. In [i]Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds[/i], you'll embark on a story that unfolds across four major releases, starting with today's launch and continuing with quarterly updates through the first half of 2025. Below is a high-level view of what's going live today and our plans for what's coming in the following three quarterly releases. There's a significant change to our map content plans that we'd like to bring to your attention. We had originally announced that the expansion would feature three open-world maps—two at launch, with a third released in a quarterly update that would then be expanded on in a subsequent quarterly release, like Inner Nayos. Rather than shipping the third map in two parts, we will instead be releasing a standalone map in both the second and third quarterly releases, each similar in size to Lake Doric. This brings the total open-world map count for [i]Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds[/i] up from three to four. As always, game development is full of surprises, so this roadmap comes with a general disclaimer that our release plans may change, despite our best efforts. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38608049/bbacd656f8dd909a9498afb0b40464fd76216d78.jpg[/img] In addition to all the content going live today, this quarter will also include a skills and balance update, our annual Halloween festival, a WvW update, a beta event for the new PvP game mode, the return of structured PvP's Tournament of Legends, and multiple bonus events. [h1]Festivals and Bonus Events[/h1] Here's the full schedule of festivals and bonus events coming to [i]Guild Wars 2[/i] in the next few months: [list][*][b]August 20–August 26:[/b] Twitch Drops[/*] [*][b]August 26:[/b] [i]Guild Wars 2[/i] Anniversary Week[/*] [*][b]September 10–September17:[/b] Fractal Rush Bonus Event[/*] [*][b]September 17–September 24:[/b] Return to Path of Fire Bonus Event[/*] [*][b]September 24–October 1:[/b] WvW Rush Bonus Event[/*] [*][b]October 1–October 8:[/b] Living World Season 4 Bonus Event[/*] [*][b]October 15–November 5:[/b] Shadow of the Mad King Halloween Festival[/*][/list] Don't forget to bookmark our [url=https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/events/]handy event calendar[/url] to keep tabs on what's happening in the game! [url=//d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/d21e6jwlaunchblog.jpg][img]//d3b4yo2b5lbfy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/d21e6jwlaunchblog-590x332.jpg[/img][/url] Lastly, we have some cozy [i]Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds[/i] [url=https://www.guildwars2.com/media/wallpapers/]key art wallpaper[/url] to share with everyone! We're incredibly excited to share [i]Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds[/i] with you. Thank you for being part of this journey and for your continued support over the years! We'll see you in Janthir, —[i]Guild Wars 2[/i] Team