Guild Wars 2 Teases Upcoming Expansion Announcement

Guild Wars 2 has officially begun teasing its next expansion in the form of a cryptic countdown that is likely showing off icons for new elite specializations. Fans can expect Guild Wars 2 to share more of these images in the days leading up to the official expansion reveal on July 15.

Recently, Guild Wars 2 released the final update for Janthir Wilds. Titled “Absolution,” players journey to the heart of the ruined city of Bava Nisos to close the Mists gate the Titans used to enter Tyria, and learn more about the mysteries within it. Were this not exciting enough, Guild Wars 2 also revealed a roadmap that confirmed the official reveal of its sixth expansion would be taking place in July.

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Now, it seems like Guild Wars 2 is teasing the new expansion ahead of this reveal. On June 30, ArenaNet shared an image on Twitter featuring a lute over an orange and purple hexagon, all on top of scenic black and white concept art, beginning a countdown of 15 days. Two days later, it shared another image that instead showed a winged helmet, with the text now showing 13 days. While the exact meaning of these images is not known, the text is almost certainly a countdown to the official reveal of the sixth expansion of Guild Wars 2.

Guild Wars 2 Expansion Announcement Coming July 15

These teasers sparked speculation among the playerbase, with most agreeing that the hexagonal decals implied they might be icons for a new set of Elite Specializations coming in the release. Many surmise the lute could symbolize a bard or minstrel – something that would be especially funny, considering the Minstrel was jokingly revealed as a playable profession for April Fools’ Day in 2011 ahead of the Mesmer’s formal introduction. Meanwhile, many wonder if the winged helmet may be a take on Guild Wars: Nightfall’s Paragon, utilizing the new Spear weapon from Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds as a Guardian or Warrior Elite specialization.

Either way, fans won’t have to wait long to find out. The social media countdown suggests Guild Wars 2 will announce the expansion – along with the true meaning of these symbols – on July 15. Until then, players can expect more cryptic teasers from ArenaNet in the days leading to its reveal.

This unannounced expansion was originally supposed to release in August, but Guild Wars 2 recently delayed it by two months for quality assurance. Fans can now anticipate the next expansion to drop in October 2025, and assuming it follows Guild Wars 2‘s established release cadence, there will be three additional story updates throughout 2026.