From August 17 to 21, ArenaNet will host an Elite Specialization beta event for its upcoming Guild Wars 2 expansion, End of Dragons. The developer has now revealed the third and final class that will be playable in the beta. As suspected, it’s the Guardian, and the Elite Specialization coming in the Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons expansion is called the Willbender.
The other two Elites that will be playable in the beta are the Harbinger and the Virtuoso. The Harbinger is the new Specialization for the Necromancer class, and the Virtuoso is for the Mesmer class. The mind blades of the Virtuoso seemed like an immediate personal favorite, however, the dual blade-wielding Willbender looks incredibly fun.
Two swords are better than one
As with all Elite Specializations in Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons, the Willbender gives the Guardian access to a new weapon. In this case, it’s an offhand sword. This is the first true offensive weapon the Guardian has ever been able to equip in its offhand, which suggests the Willbender will be heavily damage-focused.
Perhaps the most attractive trait in the Willbender preview is its mobility. Movement has always been an issue for Guardians. It looks like ArenaNet has decided to compensate for this by making the Willbender incredibly agile. A lot of the abilities look excellent for closing the distance to enemies. The Dragon Ball-esque flying charge of the first ability is particularly enjoyable.
If you want to join the Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons Elite Specialization beta event, all you need is an account for the game. It doesn’t matter if you’re a veteran player or have never played before, you are welcome to create an account and join in.
All accounts will be given three Elite Specialization character slots to use for the duration of the beta. The characters you create in these slots will be erased at the end, along with all the progress made on them. You can download Guild Wars 2 for free from the game’s website.
