Guild Wars 2

Hello, I’ve just returned to the game after being gone for well over a year, if not more, and I find myself wondering about the state of Living Story content.

What has changed, exactly, since the original idea of Living Story content? Last I played, you could only complete each chapter of the story during a specific time period, and now I see purchasable episodes named Season 2. If I buy each of them, am I able to play through them on every character? Do they disappear after a new season begins?

Thank you in advance.

Permanently there now, once bought (or if you log in during a 2 week session) they are available for as long as you play.

All Living Story releases from the start of Season 2 onwards are permanent. You can unlock them either by logging in during the 2 week release window or by paying 200 gems after that.

Once they’re unlocked they’re accessible by every character. Including new characters created after you unlock the episode at any time (although you have to get to level 80 to play it).

It may also be worth knowing that what you’re paying for is actually only a few specific things. You can access all of the following even if all the story releases are locked:

• New maps
• Open world events on those maps
• Open world achievements
• Items obtainable in the open world like the carapace armor
• You can play the story by forming a party with someone who has it unlocked

Paying will get you:

• The ability to start the story instances yourself
• Story related achievements
• Certain reward items, like the Mawdrey backpack and Mardrey II which consumes bloodstone dust

So you could try a few of the story instances, or even play through the entire story, by joining a friend or a guild member who has them unlocked and then decide based on that whether you want to buy them.

Thank you for your replies! That was all I needed to know.