New ‘Guild Wars 2’ Expansion ‘Path Of Fire’ Now Live, Adding Mounts, The Crystal Desert

Guild Wars 2 and its players just celebrated the game’s fifth anniversary last month. The revelry continues today with the second expansion’s release for the MMORPG. After being announced in August, Path of Fire is available in all regions, adding the Crystal Desert area, mounts, and new elite specializations for each of the nine professions.

Path of Fire extends the story in Guild Wars 2 with the human god Balthazar terrorizing the Crystal Desert as he attempts to increase his already impressive power. As stated on the game’s forums, Balthazar’s horde of Forged has forced many from the area while other enemies like the Kralkatorrik also cause problems for the locals. The patch notes also give brief descriptions on each of the profession’s new elite specializations unlocked in Path of Fire.

Soon after players begin their journey in the Crystal Desert, they will learn how to ride mounts. Four types of mounts are an integral part of the expansion, and players will begin by riding atop a raptor that can leap forward great distances. Three other mounts, each with their own utility, are also included in the expansion. As players progress through Path of Fire and its Mastery lines, the springer, the skimmer, and the jackal will become available. Each mount can be bound to a different keybinding, letting players summon the mount of their choice at will.

As the Inquisitr reported, each Guild Wars 2 mount provides a different way to traverse Tyria. The springer can jump very high vertically, while the skimmer floats above the ground letting it move across water and other obstacles. The jackal offers players the ability to teleport over some distance. Each mount has its own Mastery line, improving its engagement ability and unique movement ability.

Although the base game is free to play, Guild Wars 2 players will need to buy the Path of Fire expansion to access mounts, the new specializations, and the Crystal Desert. The expansion costs $30 and includes a boost to level a character the maximum of 80. Other editions of the expansion come with more items like a character slot.

Since its release in 2012, over 11 million Guild Wars 2 players have created over 53 million characters. According to the information on the game’s website, there have been over 61 free releases for Guild Wars 2.

[Featured Image by ArenaNet]