Professions reveal
The revelation of Guild Wars 2 professions was an ongoing marketing campaign by ArenaNet.
Overview[edit]
Various sources listed a compilation of what professions one could expect. Note that all these descriptions count for all eight professions.
- There are professions that use guns, bows, or both, as well as some professions that can use neither.[1]
- Racial skills that remove a condition are a fair bit weaker than comparable skills provided by a profession specializing in condition removal.[1]
- Professions that do use pets are said to be very distinctive from professions that do not.[2]
- At least two professions which can specialize in support.[3]
- Certain professions are built heavily around the concept of environmental weapons.[4]
- At least two professions are variations on Guild Wars professions, but not quite the same.[5]
- There will not be a dedicated healer.[6]
- Chronomancers are certain not to be included.[7]
- Prior to the confirmation of the last profession, the available deductions were its scholar status and its position as a returning Guild Wars profession.[8] Further interviews stated that the last profession was "kind of complex and definitely plays differently than other professions,"[9] and would also best fulfill the expectations of mesmer fans.[10][11]
History[edit]
The campaign started on April 20, 2010 with the release through the official Facebook and Twitter of a concept art accompanied by a word: "formidable". The image displays eight obscured figures which were later revealed to be the eight playable professions.
Since then, the image has been gradually updated to reveal more characters.
"Formidable" - April 20, 2010
"Adaptable" - April 23, 2010
Elementalist - April 27, 2010
Warrior - June 9, 2010
"A new profession this week?" - July 12, 2010
Ranger - July 14, 2010
Necromancer - August 25, 2010
Guardian - January 27, 2011
Thief - March 11, 2011
Commando (April Fool's Joke) - April 1, 2011
Engineer - May 19, 2011
Mesmer - December 14, 2011
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Elementalist[edit]
Three days after the first image, another concept art was published with the word "adaptable". The two words, formidable and adaptable are presumed to be describing the profession that was revealed on April 27, 2010: the elementalist. Note that this is the only profession to have been revealed in parts. All other professions so far have been revealed in one step.
Elementalist - April 20, 2010
Elementalist - April 23rd
Elementalist - April 27th
Elementalist - highlighted
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Warrior[edit]
The warrior profession was announced on June 9, 2010, although it had been mentioned in interviews and articles prior to this.
Warrior - April 20, 2010
Warrior - June 9th
Warrior - highlighted
Ranger[edit]
The ranger profession was announced on July 14, 2010, although it had been mentioned in interviews and articles prior to this.
Ranger - April 20, 2010
Ranger - July 14th
Ranger - highlighted
Necromancer[edit]
The necromancer was announced on August 25, 2010, although it was already playable at the gamescom 2010 demo.
Necromancer - April 20, 2010
Necromancer - August 25th
Necromancer - highlighted
Guardian[edit]
The guardian was announced on January 27, 2011, although it had been mentioned in articles prior to this.
Guardian - April 20, 2010
Guardian - January 27, 2011
Guardian - highlighted
Thief[edit]
The thief was announced on March 11, 2011, although it had been leaked from an earlier video from the 2011 Games Developer Conference showing the second Guild Wars 2 demo.[12]
Thief - April 20, 2010
Thief - March 11, 2011
Thief - highlighted
Commando and April Fools' Day 2011[edit]
The commando was announced on April 1, 2011, as part of April Fools' Day 2011. The profession was revealed with a full page on the official Guild Wars 2 site, and included information about skill types, mounts, play mechanics along with skill videos and screenshots.
Unknown - April 20, 2010
Commando - April 1, 2011
Commando - highlighted
On that day, several other professions were revealed as part of communities' fools, including the shadowmancer, revealed by the Guild Wars 2 Wiki itself.
Engineer[edit]
The engineer was announced on May 19, 2011.
Engineer - April 20, 2010
Engineer - May 19, 2011
Engineer - highlighted
Mesmer[edit]
The mesmer was announced on December 14, 2011, while this returning profession was officially confirmed on December 12 by Martin Kerstein via Twitter and Facebook in the wake of a leaked profession skill video earlier that day.[13]
Mesmer - April 20, 2010
Mesmer - December 14, 2011
Mesmer - highlighted
Related concept art[edit]
Along with the profession information, some additional pieces of concept art are released as wallpapers with each reveal.
Elementalist
Warrior
Ranger
Necromancer
Guardian
Thief
Engineer
Mesmer
The above concept art bears strong resemblances to the following images from the GDC 2010 slideshow:
The following concept art resembles both the style shown in ArenaNet's MMO Manifesto trailer and a piece of concept art from the wallpaper gallery:
- The elementalist and engineer wallpapers are the same style as the others.
- Except for the weapon, the warrior wallpaper and the yellow GDC image are nearly identical.
- With the exception of the presence of a pet, the ranger wallpaper is a nearly identical version of the green GDC image.
- Save for the hue and the weapon, the asura on the necromancer wallpaper is essentially a mirrored version of the image from the MMO Manifesto.
- The guardian wallpaper is a slightly retouched version of the blue GDC concept art.
- The thief wallpaper is the same with some small changes to it.
- The mesmer wallpaper is identical to the GDC concept art.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Guild Wars 2 Developer Interview, IncGamers
- ^ Nine GW2 Follow Up Questions with Eric Flannum, ArenaNet Blog
- ^ Les Joliens posent leurs questions, JeuxOnline
- ^ OnlineWelten interview with Eric Flannum, 29 Apr 2010
- ^ Guild Wars 2 - Exclusive Ranger Interview Transcription, OnRPG, 16 Jul 2010
- ^ Healing and Death
- ^ OnlineWelten interview, 9 Oct 2009
- ^ Guild Wars 2 Developer Q&A, GameSpy
- ^ Guild Wars 2 Preview - The Engineer Revealed, gamespot.com
- ^ CD-Action Interview - Eric Flannum
- ^ 43:45 Guild Wars 2 Panel at Comic Con 2011
- ^ GDC 11: Beginnings Walkthrough (Cam) Part I, Game Trailers & Videos
- ^ Post by Martin Kerstein, Twitter
