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Guild Wars 2’s “The Realm of Dreams” update drops today for the Secrets of the Obscure expansion. However, I had a chance to get hands-on with some of the content in this update, including battling some of the incredible new foes players will be contending with. Alongside other members of the press, I helped battle against the Kryptis forces, and even tried out fighting perhaps the most challenging boss in the game’s history.
There’s a great deal to be excited about in Guild Wars 2’s The Realm of Dreams update, from the story itself to new legendary weapons and armor, and the content itself. While I won’t be spoiling anything from the final battle of this update, I do want to go over some of the incredible upcoming content.
What can players expect in Guild Wars 2’s “The Realm of Dreams” content update?
In “The Realm of Dreams,” the next Guild Wars 2 update for the Secrets of the Obscure expansion, we’re going into a new part of Nayos. However, there are more than just enemy Kryptis here. Not everyone is against the heroes, as there is now a tense civil war among the Kryptis. The focus of the story is finding new allies, so the heroes can set things right once and for all here in Nayos.
Players will no doubt notice some familiar faces among the volunteers as they explore The Realm of Dreams in Guild Wars 2, as well as some new ones too. While seeing familiar faces is nice, the party really needs to win over some of the Kryptis to help fight in the upcoming battle against the Midnight King. This story will build upon what we’ve already seen in the Through the Veil episode preview we did last November.
It’s not all seriousness, though, in Guild Wars 2’s The Realm of Dreams update. Among the new rewards that you can unlock in this update from the Wizard’s Vault, there’s a Cat Tree Chair. That’s right, a cosmetic chair you can set in that looks like a cat tree. It even comes with a few cats just idling on it. It’s an amazing item, but sadly, it didn’t appear to unlock for me on my account. Instead, enjoy this image of it above.
You can also begin unlocking the first half of a new armor set as a Wizard’s Vault reward in The Realm of Dreams, when it launches in Guild Wars 2. It’s called the Skysage Set. There are plenty of other rewards, such as the Solar Astrolabes weapon skins and a new Glider cosmetic - all of this is found in the Wizard’s Vault.
There’s also the amazing Legendary Obsidian Armor Set, which is a throwback to Guild Wars 1’s Obsidian Armor. As a GW1 player myself, I was very excited to see this come back in Guild Wars 2 for The Realm of Dreams. The Heavy set looks like the Obsidian Armor, the Medium is the Assassin Armor, and the Light references the Guild Wars 1 Mesmer/Elementalist armor sets.
If that weren’t enough, there’s also an incredible new rare drop that falls off one of the bosses in this update, Knaebelag’s Fang. It’s a powerful weapon with an incredible cosmetic look.
Another great new feature in Guild Wars 2’s The Realm of Dreams update is that every profession will have access to a new weapon, so there will be plenty of new skills and playstyles to take part in. Each class will have a new way to play, such as Elementalists having access to guns!
Players will head into Inner Nayos across several new missions, which will see them working hard to build a coalition worthy of stopping the Nightmare King. Another portion of this preview session led us to tackle some of the new Instance dungeons that are a part of this new storyline - Eventide’s March: Nyedra Surrounds.
I won’t spoil any of the major story content that comes with any of the new instances or events, but I will say that the action was pretty intense. However, we do have General Nepthus on our side, helping Peitha bring order and peace back to Nayos. This instance reminded me of one of the things I love about Guild Wars 2, and it’s on full display in The Realm of Dreams.
Now that mounts are in the game, you can use them in combat in instances such as this. In fact, having access to the Skyscale mounts is incredibly important if you want to take some of the threats down in these upcoming battles. Being able to swap to flight and open fire on turrets is such a cool feeling. I won’t spoil the episode finale either, but it’s incredible. Easily one of the coolest fights I’ve seen in Guild Wars 2 so far, thanks to The Realm of Dreams.
Another thing we got to preview took place at the Wizard’s Tower map. This is another thing I want to avoid spoilers on, but it’s an intense Challenge Mode of one of the new Strikes. I’ve never fought a boss that difficult in all my time in Guild Wars 2, I can just say that. Fans that are looking for something more difficult will not be disappointed.
Overall, I think the story for Guild Wars 2’s Secrets of the Obscure is heading in a very interesting direction in The Realm of Dreams. The areas are stunning, the enemies look suitably threatening, and the combat requires some solid, tactical teamwork. If you’re the type to just fly in solo and ignore what your group is doing, you’re going to be in for a rough time.
Guild Wars 2’s The Realm of Dreams update is free for all owners of the Secrets of the Obscure expansion, and will go live later today - February 27, 2024.
