Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns launch trailer releases

Guild Wars 2's first expansion, Heart of Thorns, is out October 23, so it's the perfect time I guess for ArenaNet to release a launch trailer. The above might be the most premature launch trailer I've seen, showing a big battle between some warrior types and an enormous plant that wants to give them a crushing hug. If you've ever had to deal with bindweed in your garden or allotment, you'll surely understand their plight.

ArenaNet has been busy on the announcement front. It's also revealed that Heart of Thorns' final beta event will take place next weekend, from October 2 until the 4th.

Oh, and it's also introduced the ArenaNet Partner Program, which aims to "support content creators" making Guild Wars-related YouTube videos, streaming, blogging, making fan art or whatnot.

Bloody hell, ArenaNet has revealed the Ranger's new elite specialization too. Say hello to the Druid, who's able to attune with the land, uncover helpful ancient glyphs, and enhance their allies via staff skills. "As a longtime ally of nature, the ranger can now channel the strength of Tyria itself after tapping into the primal forces of the Maguuma jungle."

Tom loves exploring in games, whether it’s going the wrong way in a platformer or burgling an apartment in Deus Ex. His favourite game worlds—Stalker, Dark Souls, Thief—have an atmosphere you could wallop with a blackjack. He enjoys horror, adventure, puzzle games and RPGs, and played the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VIII with a translated script he printed off from the internet. Tom has been writing about free games for PC Gamer since 2012. If he were packing for a desert island, he’d take his giant Columbo boxset and a laptop stuffed with PuzzleScript games.