Will 3rd Expansion happen at all?

[kharmin.7683]

I thought that LS5 was the expansion? Wasn't it said that LS5 would contain expansion-like content? Maybe, when it's all said and done and all of the LS5 chapters have been released, we will have the equivalent content of an expansion? Maybe we just need to be more patient?/me shrugs

[hugo.4705]

@XYLO.7031 said:

@hugo.4705 said:I want my asura expansion D: they already did it with Utopia, not again!

I agree. I want the Asura engineer to have ASURA TECH on top of it. Steampunk works for the furries because of their Black Citadel theme. Asura love plox.

Well said

[coso.9173]

if they manage to make ls5 to be the same amount and quality content than an expansion, but more spread in time I'll be a happy guy. they said it's what they want, so we'll have to see how they deliver it.

[hugo.4705]

Well it's just the start of ls5, but I consider that as the "Norn Expansion", the only part missing is specs cause, yeah I got used to them since they came with hot and pof.Was happy with the first map but well was more "charr expansion" I'm worried that this is the only charr map we will have... apart if they expand it.

Well it's simple, bjora marches will continue to the west to the lake, then even more west to arrive to woodlands to end at the delta or janthir sea. This is the norn expansion continuing during this year.

Not a lot of areas left then, either north of maguuma wastes, north east of grothmar valley or scavenger causeway and all the south.

[Astralporing.1957]

@"kharmin.7683" said:I thought that LS5 was the expansion? Wasn't it said that LS5 would contain expansion-like content? Maybe, when it's all said and done and all of the LS5 chapters have been released, we will have the equivalent content of an expansion? Maybe we just need to be more patient?Sure, with the limited resources they decided it would be a great idea to give to us an expansion for free, and with less hype, instead of selling it and getting some nice PR out of it on top.

No, the only real reason why they might have changed the expansion model into "expansion-like" LS releases, that will bring them less, is because the second model will not be an equivalent. It will also be less.

[voltaicbore.8012]

@"Astralporing.1957" said:No, the only real reason why they might have changed the expansion model into "expansion-like" LS releases, that will bring them less, is because the second model will not be an equivalent. It will also be less.

I also believe this is the case. I'm still going to stick with GW2 for the foreseeable future, but I'm not under the impression that LS5 (and any future sagas) will fully deliver the expansion experiences we got with HoT and PoF. Maybe they can match or outdo the raw increases in new map area. Maybe they can add a few new niche mechanics via masteries.

However, the way chapter 1's masteries turned out, I'm certain we will never see anything game-changing like gliding from HoT and mounts from PoF. The mastery lines introduced with Icebrood Saga are just like the throwaway masteries from the other living world maps - very niche, and only matter a little on one specific map. I guess it's always possible that they will introduce new mastery lines in future episodes that actually do have game-wide impact, but I highly doubt it.

[magnusthorek.8027]

Every time I see (another) of this kind of topic I want to scratch my eyeballs with pointy nails

[Cynder.2509]

First of all an engine update to support DX12 and overall better support for higher end rigs is the more mandatory thing. Before that there shouldn't be any new expansion that bloats the game even more and results in yet another fps drop for newer systems, n my opinion. I'd really like to return to Cantha but I hope that the engine will get fixed before that.

[Jimbru.6014]

Originally, before the big layoffs, Anet devs made statements in streams that they were planning for LS5 to lead into the next expansion. After the big layoffs, they made more statements trying to stick to that plan. But now that Mike O'Brien has left Anet, and seeing the game's population visibly shrinking when I am online, I now suspect LS5 will probably set up the "end" of GW2 instead of a new expansion, and even more probably, there won't be a GW3. Which is a kitten shame because there's so much potential still unachieved, so many stories and threads still unresolved. I hope I'm wrong.

[Astralporing.1957]

@Jimbru.6014 said:Originally, before the big layoffs, Anet devs made statements in streams that they were planning for LS5 to lead into the next expansion.I'd like a quote on that, because i certainly don't remember anything like that at all. All i remember before the layoffs is the devs saying we won't be seeing an expansion between ls4 and ls5, and we won't be seeing an expansion anytime soon.

After the big layoffs, they made more statements trying to stick to that plan.Again, i'd like a quote on that.

So far it very much looks like they planned to cancel expacs at least half a year before layoffs.

[Jimbru.6014]

@Astralporing.1957 said:

@"Jimbru.6014" said:Originally, before the big layoffs, Anet devs made statements in streams that they were planning for LS5 to lead into the next expansion.I'd like a quote on that, because i certainly don't remember anything like that at all. All i remember before the layoffs is the devs saying we won't be seeing an expansion between ls4 and ls5, and we won't be seeing an expansion anytime soon.

After the big layoffs, they made more statements trying to stick to that plan.Again, i'd like a quote on that.

So far it very much looks like they planned to cancel expacs at least half a year

before

layoffs.

It was a dev stream a good while ago, back during LS4. I'd have to dig for it. People were constantly asking about another expansion (as if the devs could make one appear overnight) and the devs said there would be LS5 after LS4, with any future expansion after LS5. I distinctly recall that was a few months or so BEFORE the layoffs, which seemingly caught everyone by surprise. Then after the layoffs when everyone was going "Well NOW what?" the devs said (somewhat vaguely) that they were still sticking to that plan. But now, it appears all that has gone by the wayside.

One of the problems in all this is the opacity of Anet about anything they're doing. The layoffs were supposedly related to cancelled projects...WHAT projects? One rumor said one was a mobile project; another said Mike O'Brien was working on GW3 before he finally gave up and left. We don't KNOW what Anet was or is working on, but now with their reduced work force and the GW founders all gone, we can make a reasonable guess that Anet is not presently working on anything but LS5. Whatever comes after that -- if anything -- is pure speculation.

[Xar.6279]

When Saga is "expansion-like" content and you don't like it then you won't like 3rd expansion as well, because it will be Saga-like content. Just different story. Open world stuff etc, etc.

[Anchoku.8142]

I am sure GW2 and GW2's design authority was transferred as an asset to Arenenet's owner as a result of a contract. Terms like "maintenance mode" do not exactly mean what players think they mean. There is a life cycle to these things that do not necessarily line up with ownership, management, or roadmap.

[Healix.5819]

@Jimbru.6014 said:We don't KNOW what Anet was or is working on, but now with their reduced work force and the GW founders all gone, we can make a reasonable guess that Anet is not presently working on anything but LS5.

They still have side projects (related to GW2) and one of their (GW2) content teams isn't working on the living world.

[Knighthonor.4061]

@"hugo.4705" said:Considering pcgamesn, here's what to understand: "We know that a lot of players want expansion, but don't want to make it /deliver it right now, please stand by, and remember soon TM." They think what they want to achieve currently is perfectly doable with the Icebrood Saga. Simple, season 5 will cover so many different maps not sharing a similar theme so they can make it as an expansion, but rather like living season 3. HOT was full sylvari, POF was full human, but that one seems to be half charr half norn. NO Asura. And I hope A LOT that the 3rd expac is coming after: DOT Depths Of Tyria for Asura/Dwarfs. All races would be covered that way. I hope that Saga is awesome.

That's because they likely working on a third expansion right now but don't want to announce it like Anet has a history of not letting people know what's being worked on like they did HoT, which prior to LW2 ending which revealed the expansion, Anet stated multiple times that they wasn't going to be doing expansions and that LW was all they needed for the game, which obviously wasn't true as HoT was their biggest expansion to date. Also

AlsoAlsoAnet has stated that one of their teams are making LW5 content and a fourth team is working on something that they keeping a tight lid on... Hint hint.

Why keep a tight lid on something the fourth team is working on if it's not LW5 stuff? Think about it people. They said one team is working on LW5 stuff, which is no real secret. Yet this mysterious forth team is making something that Anet wants to keep a secret but worth TELLING US THAT IT'S A SECRET....

[Knighthonor.4061]

@"Jimbru.6014" said:Originally, before the big layoffs, Anet devs made statements in streams that they were planning for LS5 to lead into the next expansion. After the big layoffs, they made more statements trying to stick to that plan. But now that Mike O'Brien has left Anet, and seeing the game's population visibly shrinking when I am online, I now suspect LS5 will probably set up the "end" of GW2 instead of a new expansion, and even more probably, there won't be a GW3. Which is a kitten shame because there's so much potential still unachieved, so many stories and threads still unresolved. I hope I'm wrong.

That makes no sense when you actually look at what Anet said and is doing. They have a fourth team working on something secret for GW2 that isn't LW5. Why would they do that if LW5 is the end of GW2? Can't be a WvW feature like Alliances since that's not a secret.

[Astralporing.1957]

@"Jimbru.6014" said:It was a dev stream a good while ago, back during LS4. I'd have to dig for it. People were constantly asking about another expansion (as if the devs could make one appear overnight) and the devs said there would be LS5 after LS4, with any future expansion after LS5. I distinctly recall that was a few months or so BEFORE the layoffs, which seemingly caught everyone by surprise. Then after the layoffs when everyone was going "Well NOW what?" the devs said (somewhat vaguely) that they were still sticking to that plan. But now, it appears all that has gone by the wayside.Please, do dig into it, because it was the time when they were stonewalling any questions about expansion beyond saying that there won't be one between LS4 and LS5. It's also the time from where the leaks saying that the devs themselves were not sure whether there will be anything beyond LS4 come from. It would have been extremely weird for them to suddenly say something else during that one stream. The more likely case is that the wording you heard was ambigious enough that you have added a meaning that simply wasn't there. And there definitely wasn't any mention about expansion after layoffs, besides that one interview where they basically said that they know it is wanted and it's not off the table, but it's not in the cards right now.

@Knighthonor.4061 said:

@"Jimbru.6014" said:Originally, before the big layoffs, Anet devs made statements in streams that they were planning for LS5 to lead into the next expansion. After the big layoffs, they made more statements trying to stick to that plan. But now that Mike O'Brien has left Anet, and seeing the game's population visibly shrinking when I am online, I now suspect LS5 will probably set up the "end" of GW2 instead of a new expansion, and even more probably, there won't be a GW3. Which is a kitten shame because there's so much potential still unachieved, so many stories and threads still unresolved. I hope I'm wrong.

That makes no sense when you actually look at what Anet said and is doing. They have a fourth team working on something secret for GW2 that isn't LW5. Why would they do that if LW5 is the end of GW2? Can't be a WvW feature like Alliances since that's not a secret.That something is most likely not a single, big project, but a number of small ones. Basically, all those small things that they started to introduce lately, like build templates, capes, color channels for back items. Surely you don't think those are being done in the devs' free time.

[zealex.9410]

@Astralporing.1957 said:

@"Jimbru.6014" said:It was a dev stream a good while ago, back during LS4. I'd have to dig for it. People were constantly asking about another expansion (as if the devs could make one appear overnight) and the devs said there would be LS5 after LS4, with any future expansion after LS5. I distinctly recall that was a few months or so BEFORE the layoffs, which seemingly caught everyone by surprise. Then after the layoffs when everyone was going "Well NOW what?" the devs said (somewhat vaguely) that they were still sticking to that plan. But now, it appears all that has gone by the wayside.Please, do dig into it, because it was the time when they were stonewalling any questions about expansion beyond saying that there

won't

be one between LS4 and LS5. It's also the time from where the leaks saying that the devs themselves were not sure whether there will be

anything

beyond LS4 come from. It would have been extremely weird for them to suddenly say something else during that one stream. The more likely case is that the wording you heard was ambigious enough that you have added a meaning that simply wasn't there. And there definitely wasn't any mention about expansion after layoffs, besides that one interview where they basically said that they know it is wanted and it's not off the table, but it's not in the cards right now.

@Knighthonor.4061 said:

@"Jimbru.6014" said:Originally, before the big layoffs, Anet devs made statements in streams that they were planning for LS5 to lead into the next expansion. After the big layoffs, they made more statements trying to stick to that plan. But now that Mike O'Brien has left Anet, and seeing the game's population visibly shrinking when I am online, I now suspect LS5 will probably set up the "end" of GW2 instead of a new expansion, and even more probably, there won't be a GW3. Which is a kitten shame because there's so much potential still unachieved, so many stories and threads still unresolved. I hope I'm wrong.

That makes no sense when you actually look at what Anet said and is doing. They have a fourth team working on something secret for GW2 that isn't LW5. Why would they do that if LW5 is the end of GW2? Can't be a WvW feature like Alliances since that's not a secret.That something is most likely not a single, big project, but a number of small ones. Basically, all those small things that they started to introduce lately, like build templates, capes, color channels for back items. Surely you don't think those are being done in the devs' free time.

Meanwhile ff14 will be adding a new dungeon every patch and raid/story cadense doesnt look like its going to suffer because of it.

Gotta love competent management and a clear vision.

[Fueki.4753]

@Knighthonor.4061 said:Why keep a tight lid on something the fourth team is working on if it's not LW5 stuff? Think about it people. They said one team is working on LW5 stuff, which is no real secret. Yet this mysterious forth team is making something that Anet wants to keep a secret but worth TELLING US THAT IT'S A SECRET....

Creating hope out of nothing is nothing mind-blowing or spectacular.That statement might have just been made so people wishing for an expansion get their hopes up too high.The content that team creates might be minor questline additions for the seasonal events, a new fractal or even just the annual raid release.That statement also might be a straight lie and that team is working on LS5 after all.

[Carnifex.3275]

If they want to keep earning money they gotta spend money. So yes it will happen. Question is can they fix already existing problems and on top of that can they create an expansion that even further goes into a right direction before more and more players abandon the ship? Will they make it in time? Tho i'd actually want something like a "remaster" of the game rather then an expansion. Change up things drastically. Rework skills/traits/balance between classes/powercreep. Rework WvW/PvP. Kind of like a thing when new trait system was introduced back some years ago but on a wider scale.. So many great things could be reworked rather then just a new expansion that will further complicate things and bring even more powercreep and madness. Fix nothing and release new expansion with more overtuned elite specs further muddying the waters? Not sure i would spend money on it. They are facing quite an interesting turn and some hard decisions in the future that's for sure. :)

[hugo.4705]

They seriously must have a bug-fixing team. No need to have 1 hundred peoples on gemstore or LS if what is released in the past isn't fixed.I still see elementals in the sky of Bitterfrost Frontier. I sometimes pass trough the ground while using a magma tube in Ember Bay.Still empty Inquest chests all around Rata Primus in sandswept Isles + in that map some collisions issues. Bugged characters on the airship of Dragonfall: They have talk option but can't talk. And recently boneskinner stuck at the top of trees or sticking on trunks. And several escort events in ls maps that simply stop working, npcs not moving anymore. Like sometimes when escorting in grothmar to the ghost necromancer. But it's rarer.

I can see why they do that ls5, they can release with each episode corresponding goods on gemstore... Chairs... Gliders.... Skins.... And add the nasty annoying time and gold consuming collections like dragonsblood, requiem, astral..... Through mist armors of dragonfall and boreal were ok.

In expac, sure you wait years but then all the map are released simultaneously, it's better in the way that you don't have that abrupt stop and waiting between episodes, it's more fluid, you don't wait 3 months to see what happens next. That's a plus for me. Imagine, it took you 3 months to discover Tarir, 3 months to discover Rata Novus then 3 month to explore it, would be non-sense. HoT was awesome, PoF was kinda a let down imho, really flat and empty desert. I'm currently waiting to see what happens in IBS, but for me ls4 stopped after LS4E2. The rest is bad. I prefer to think for all my characters that Joko is still alive and Blish too.I also prefer for now to think that Almora is still there, will consider her dead when the death will be properly explained I expect in episode 2.

I have a mitigated feeling about the future of that awesome game, it's either they make an expac after ls5 to bring money or they continue with ls6 and the last bone of the game skeleton will fall. It has been proven in the earnings that the money spikes are at expansions release. LS don't bring money, gemstores goods bring money but not as much as an expac. Unbreakable tools or mount skins sell like breads but that's it.

Yeah again, I will buy an expansion, YES I want to spend money. Yes as I said multiple time in the past, if you release an asura expac it's a deluxe edition from me.Yes I prefer waiting, and have 5 giant maps, with 9 elite specs, with a cool long story, with very cool H-O-T like metas, with a QOL mastery. That mastery could be henchman. It could help you fighting (in pve only), helping you finding hidden treasures in maps, carrying stuffs, allowing access to some places....And you can choose an appearance for it between all the foes and allies of the game.(Thinking of it, I would really like to have an airship or vessel to explore ocean or fighting, but maybe as additional WvW/PvP gamemode)

[Kinon.9014]

yesssssss.

[kharmin.7683]

@zealex.9410 said:

Meanwhile ff14 will be adding a new dungeon every patch and raid/story cadense doesnt look like its going to suffer because of it.

Gotta love competent management and a clear vision.Comparing content releases between subscription based games and non-subscription based games is not a valid argument.

[Knighthonor.4061]

@Fueki.4753 said:

@Knighthonor.4061 said:Why keep a tight lid on something the fourth team is working on if it's not LW5 stuff? Think about it people. They said one team is working on LW5 stuff, which is no real secret. Yet this mysterious forth team is making something that Anet wants to keep a secret but worth TELLING US THAT IT'S A SECRET....

Creating hope out of nothing is nothing mind-blowing or spectacular.That statement might have just been made so people wishing for an expansion get their hopes up too high.The content that team creates might be minor questline additions for the seasonal events, a new fractal or even just the annual raid release.That statement also might be a straight lie and that team is working on LS5 after all.

Realistically why would they do that? Think about it. Why would they state they have a fourth team working on something they not ready to reveal yet for GW2 that isn't LW5 related.

Also we saw future Living World 5 photos in which the developers are even hinting at new weapons for classes (, Shield for Necro, Greatsword for Revenant, off hand Mace for Guardian)Why tease this along side hinting at a fourth team making something that's secret?

[Fueki.4753]

@Knighthonor.4061 said:Realistically why would they do that? Think about it. Why would they state they have a fourth team working on something they not ready to reveal yet for GW2 that isn't LW5 related.Also we saw future Living World 5 photos in which the developers are even hinting at new weapons for classes (, Shield for Necro, Greatsword for Revenant, off hand Mace for Guardian)Why tease this along side hinting at a fourth team making something that's secret?

Creating hype and false hopes has more success in keeping people hold onto the game and buying from the Gem Shop than being silent or deliver disappointing news.It's common business practice to polish products more than there actually is to it.Those images (you refer to) hinting at new elite specializations might be done by the three teams already working on LS5.Or it's by an completely different team, not related to LS5, other than having to release there stuff with one of the episodes.Or they were just ideas thrown into the room, that might or might not get scrapped along the way.As long we don't get any concrete info, it only serves as teaser and to create hype.