Living World

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Living World Seasons 2, 3, and 4
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Level 80 isn't the end of your journey. Experience the ever-changing world through Living World stories and adventures. You can access Living World episodes in your story journal.

— Level 80 rewards.

The Living World in Guild Wars 2 is the series of story and content releases that serve as the ongoing storyline between expansions, detailing the effects of the previous expansion and leading into the next. Episodic releases of Living World are grouped into seasons, with each episode bringing new story missions and other features, including playable zones, masteries, equipment, achievements etc.

Each Living World episode is free for all players who logged into a character during its initial release window. Afterwards every episode becomes a permanent addition to the game and can be purchased and replayed at any time, except for the first season which is free for everyone permanently.

Since the release of End of Dragons, all upcoming content releases are no longer labelled as Living World, and all owners of the related expansion will gain access to the content for free upon purchase of the expansion, meaning there is no pressure to log in to unlock it and no gem cost for missed story chapter unlocks.[1][2]

Seasons of Living World[edit]

The Living World episodes are grouped into seasons. This is their list relative to the core game and required expansions in story order, each with summaries of the storylines:

GW2Logo new.png Guild Wars 2
HoT Texture Centered Trans.png Heart of Thorns
PoF Texture Trans.png Path of Fire
EoD Texture Trans.png End of Dragons and beyond
  • Instead of separate Living World releases, additional post-expansion content is automatically bundled with expansions for free.

Unlocking Living World episodes[edit]

Where to claim episodes inside the Story Journal.

Episodes of the Living World must be unlocked in order to play them. Unlocked episodes can be accessed by any level 80 character on the account. With exception of Season 1, which is unlocked just by reaching level 80, there are three methods for unlocking episodes:

  1. Episodes can be unlocked for free by any account simply by logging in to any character during the episode's original release window. This lasts until the next episode is released; episodes are generally on a cadence to be released two to four months apart.
  2. After the release window, players can unlock the episode for 200 Gem. The journal will indicate this with a "lock" icon and a "Buy Now" button.
  3. Once all of a season's episodes are released, players can also buy the entire season as a discounted bundle in the Upgrades section of the Gem Store. The bundle price will depend on how many episodes the player still needs to unlock, but it will be equivalent to 160 Gem per episode. The currently available bundles are:

Note that, once unlocked, all seasons except Season 1 and Season 2 will require their related expansions in order to be played.

Story Steps[edit]

See also: Story Journal#Storylines

Season 1[edit]

Living World Season 1 logo
Living World Season 1 storyline
Flame and Frost New Friends, New Enemies → The Battle for Cragstead → Alliance Investigation → Molten Furnace → A Quiet Celebration
Sky Pirates Ceremony and Acrimony → Hard Boiled → No More Secrets → Aether Investigation → The Aetherblade Retreat → Case Closed
Clockwork Chaos The Opening Ceremony → The Queen's Address → Clockwork Invasion → Scarlet's Playhouse → Picking Up the Pieces
Tower of Nightmares The Nightmare Unveiled → Making the Antitoxin → The Tower of Nightmares → The Nightmare Incarnate → The Nightmare Ends → Awake and Allied
Battle for Lion's Arch The Twisted Marionette → Connecting the Pieces → Escape from Lion's Arch → The Battle for Lion's Arch → Battle on the Breachmaker → Scarlet's End → After the Battle → Dawn of the Next Journey
← Previous: Personal story Next: Living World Season 2 →
The Lost Shores Lost Shores (Invasion of Lion's Arch • The Lost Shores)
Flame and Frost: The Razing Braham: Help from the Legions → Braham - Eirsson → Braham - Retake Cragstead → Rox: Critical Mission → Rox - The Hatchery
Flame and Frost: Retribution Molten Facility → Braham: Avenger of the Dispossessed / Rox: Avenger of the Dispossessed
Last Stand at Southsun Canach's Lair (s • e) → Contractually Obligated
Dragon Bash Ceremony and Acrimony → Hard Boiled → Every Piece Matters → No More Secrets
Sky Pirates of Tyria Aetherblade Retreat → A Future in Politics
Bazaar of the Four Winds Strangers from the Sky
Cutthroat Politics Audience with the Master → Candidate Trials
Queen's Jubilee Opening Ceremony
Clockwork Chaos Closing Ceremony → Scarlet's Minions Invade! → Scarlet's Playhouse
Tower of Nightmares The Nightmare Unveiled
The Nightmares Within Tower of Nightmares → Nightmare Chamber → The Nightmare Incarnate
Fractured Fractals of the Mists
The Nightmare is Over The Nightmare Ends → The Dead End
The Origins of Madness The Origins of Madness — Twisted Marionette Weapon Test → The Origins of Madness: A Moment's Peace → Scarlet's Secret Lair
The Edge of the Mists Edge of the Mists → Advanced Warning → A Study in Scarlet
Escape from Lion's Arch Escape from Lion's Arch → Lion's Arch (Under Attack!)
Battle for Lion's Arch Battle for Lion's Arch → Lion's Arch (Enemy Controlled) → Scarlet's End
Battle for Lion's Arch: Aftermath Aftermath
Festival of the Four Winds Lion's Arch: Honored Guests
Season 1 History Lesson Remembering Scarlet's War


Season 2[edit]

Living World Season 2 logo
Living World Season 2 storyline
Gates of Maguuma Disturbance in Brisban Wildlands → Fallen Hopes → Tracking the Master of Peace → Cornered → Prosperity's Mystery
Entanglement Scarlet's Secret Room → Discovering Scarlet's Breakthrough → The Concordia Incident → Trouble at Fort Salma → The Machine
The Dragon's Reach: Part 1 Rallying Call → Uprooting the Iron Marches → The Waypoint Conundrum → Summit Invitations → Plan of Attack
The Dragon's Reach: Part 2 Party Politics → Recalibrating the Waypoints → Taimi and the Asura → The World Summit
Echoes of the Past The Ghosts of Fort Salma → Reunion with the Pact → Caithe's Reconnaissance Squad → Hidden Arcana
Tangled Paths Return to Camp Resolve  → Tracking the Aspect Masters → Into the Labyrinth
Seeds of Truth The Newly Awakened → Meeting the Asura → No Refuge
Point of No Return Arcana Obscura → Pact Assaulted → The Mystery Cave
Mordremoth's Minions Invade Tyria The Mordrem have invaded Brisban Wildlands (unavailable) → The Mordrem have invaded Diessa Plateau (unavailable) → The Mordrem have invaded Kessex Hills (unavailable)
← Previous: Living World Season 1 Next: Heart of Thorns →


Season 3[edit]

Living World Season 3 logo
Living World Season 3 storyline
Out of the Shadows Eir's Memorial in Hoelbrak → Research in Rata Novus → Blood and Stone → Reaper of Magic → A Shadow's Deeds → Confessor's Stronghold
Rising Flames Taimi's Game → Destroying Destroyers → Igneous Breach → Trip to the Circus → Machine in the Flame → Old Foes, Old Ghosts → Dragon Vigil
A Crack in the Ice Precocious Aurene → Journey to Bitterfrost Frontier → Frozen in Ice → Elixir Recipe → Elixir Cookin' → The Bitter Cold → Frozen Out
The Head of the Snake A Meeting of Ministers → Eyes on Lake Doric → Sabotage Fort Evennia → Breaking the Siege → Regrouping with the Queen → Confessor's End
Flashpoint Taimi's Pet Project → Arrival and Survival → In Pursuit of a God → Elder Druid Protection → Heart of the Volcano
One Path Ends "Where's Balthazar?" → Shining Blade Secrets → On Orrian Shores → The Flow of Magic → The Last Chance
← Previous: Heart of Thorns Next: Path of Fire →


Season 4[edit]

Living World Season 4 logo
Living World Season 4 storyline
Daybreak Eye of the Brandstorm → Under the Stars → Champion's Dawn → Convincing the Corsair → The Hero of Istan → The First City
A Bug in the System Tracking the Scientist → The Test Subject → A Kindness Repaid → The Road to Rata Primus → The Charge
Long Live the Lich Seized → Forearmed Is Forewarned → Tactical Triage → I'm Brave, You Know → Be My Guest
A Star to Guide Us A Shattered Nation → Chaos Theory → Legacy → From the Ashes → Storm Tracking
All or Nothing Scion & Champion → Dragonsblood → The Crystal Blooms → Resonance → The Crystal Dragon
War Eternal The End → Landfall → Glory of Dragons → Bleed → Descent
← Previous: Path of Fire Next: The Icebrood Saga →


The Icebrood Saga (Season 5)[edit]

Living World Season 5 logo
The Icebrood Saga storyline
Prologue: Bound by Blood Coming Home → Revels & Rivals → Bad Blood → Deeper and Deeper → A Race to Arms
Whisper in the Dark Silence → What's Left Behind → The Wind and Nothing More → The Invitation
Shadow in the Ice Chasing Ghosts → Still Waters Speaking → Lost Spirits Found → The Hunt Begins → Voice in the Deep
Visions of the Past: Steel and Fire Forging Steel → Darkrime Delves
No Quarter Pointed Parley → Shoulder to Shoulder → Snapping Steel → Distract, Destroy, Distrust → Turnabout
Jormag Rising Behind Enemy Lines → Wrench in the Works → A Simple Negotiation → Pantheon of the Wild → One Charr, One Dragon, One Champion
Champions — Chapter 1: Truce Primordus Rising → Tidings and Misgivings → Defending Tyria
Champions — Chapter 2: Power Roaring Flames → Jormag's World
Champions — Chapter 3: Balance Jormag's Madness → Wildfire → Frozen Tide → Flame vs. Frost
Champions — Chapter 4: Judgment Dragonstorm → Champion's End
← Previous: Living World Season 4 Next: End of Dragons →


Trivia[edit]

  • The Living World was originally introduced as the "Living Story," but ArenaNet switched to "Living World" and stopped using Living Story partway through Season 1 (confirmation in July 2013).[3] However, players often continue using Living Story to refer to the Living World releases.
  • The original Season 1 releases of the Living World were largely temporary, but were remade into permanent content that started with Flame and Frost in the April 19, 2022 game update and ended with the Battle for Lion's Arch in the November 8, 2022 game update.
  • Initially, Living World releases were a mix of new story and new features. In Season 2, new features were dropped from Living World updates and were bundled together in releases like the April 2014 Feature Pack. Starting in Season 3, this has been reverted and new features are bundled into an update whenever they are ready.
  • Season 1 is currently the only Living World season that is completely free for all players.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Comment by Joshua Davis
  2. ^ Studio Update: Guild Wars 2 in 2023
  3. ^ Confirmation of switch to Living World by Stephane Lo Presti in 2013
Guild Wars 2
Games
Expansions
Living World
Other
Story summaries
Guild Wars Prophecies • Factions • Nightfall • Eye of the North • Beyond
Novels Ghosts of Ascalon • Edge of Destiny • Sea of Sorrows
Guild Wars 2 Personal story • Living World Season 1 (journal) • Living World Season 2 (journal)
Heart of Thorns (journal) • Living World Season 3 (journal)
Path of Fire (journal) • Living World Season 4 (journal) • The Icebrood Saga (journal)
End of Dragons (journal) • Secrets of the Obscure (journal) • Janthir Wilds (journal)
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