Guild Wars Hearts of the North Content Update Announced

NCsoft and ArenaNet sent over a press release announcing plans to release Hearts of the North, “a series of missions, quests, and in-game content” for Guild Wars that will help pave the way for Guild Wars 2. Prepare to don a wedding costume:

NCsoft and ArenaNet Ring Wedding Bells with Guild Wars Beyond and the Hearts of the North

Players Are Swept Up in Engaging In-Game Content and Costumes that Lay the Foundation for Guild Wars 2

This fall NCsoft® and ArenaNet® bring a little romance to Guild Wars® with Hearts of the North, the most recent chapter in Guild Wars Beyond, the ongoing franchise campaign that sets the stage for Guild Wars 2TM. Hearts of the North is a series of missions, quests, and in-game content that takes place in the aftermath of the War in Kryta in which players help reunite the legendary heroes Gwen and Keiran Thackeray through engaging new in-game content, including special missions where they can play as Keiran himself. When wedding bells start ringing, players will prep for the wedding, participate in the ceremony, and even dress in one of the five all-new wedding costumes.

As a special treat for Guild Wars fans, the Hearts of the North lore focuses on the union of Lt. Keiran Thackeray, a figure familiar to War in Kryta players, and Gwen, a beautiful but bitter woman that players first met at the very start of the original Guild Wars. Logan Thackeray, an iconic character in the upcoming release of Guild Wars 2 and the forthcoming Guild Wars novel Edge of Destiny, is the descendant of these two legendary heroes. As part of Hearts of the North, Guild Wars players will once again take part in history, as the wedding of Gwen and Keiran have important ramifications on the world of Guild Wars 2.

In Hearts of the North, players will experience Guild Wars history through exciting in-game quests, a website that enhances the storyline and have the opportunity to don elegant wedding costumes such as formal gowns and dapper tuxedos. But before the wedding can take place, players will search for clues to Keiran’s whereabouts for a heartsick Gwen, hunt down evil as Keiran Thackeray himself and help a norn wedding planner arrange the festivities.

Only those players who have finished Guild Wars: Eye of the North and the War in Kryta can access Hearts of the North. Once players have participated in Keiran’s safe return, they can attend the wedding and associated festivities.

In the months ahead, Guild Wars Beyond will continue to establish the foundation of Guild Wars 2 via the current Guild Wars live game. For more information on Guild Wars and the Hearts of the North, please visit www.guildwars.com.

About Guild Wars
Guild Wars, Guild Wars FactionsTM, Guild Wars NightfallTM, and Guild Wars: Eye of the North are best-selling online role-playing games played all over the world. In Guild Wars, players adventure through a beautiful, deadly land, facing off against magical creatures, forgotten races, vengeful spirits, and even a god. Players can choose to play the game solo, form a party with friends from anywhere in the world, or test their skills in player vs. player combat. The Guild Wars franchise operates on an enormously successful subscription-free business model which has attracted a vast and diverse global online community to the game.

About NCsoft West
NCsoft West is headquartered in Seattle, WA and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation. NCsoft West holds operating responsibilities for North America, Europe, South America, and Australia/New Zealand with its own development and publishing offices in Texas, California and Washington. NCsoft West also works with other NCsoft subsidiaries and third party developers throughout North America to develop and publish innovative online entertainment software products. The company actively support multiple award-winning online titles and continues to innovate and push the industry standard with additional product launches. Current franchises include Lineage®/Lineage II, City of Heroes/City of Villains®, Guild Wars®/Guild Wars Factions®/Guild Wars Nightfall®/Guild Wars: Eye of the NorthTM, and Aion®. NCsoft West recently released two major expansions in Europe and North America for the marquee franchises Aion (Aion: Assault on Balaurea) and City of Heroes (Going Rogue) which were both received well.

More information about NCsoft West can be found at http://us.ncsoft.com/en/.