Guild Wars 2

Didn’t ANet say that elite specs were only going to be an additional option rather than a pure upgrade? So why is it necessary in nearly every class now (even the new class Revenant)?

All you lose is a traitline, and in its place you get a new traitline, often with stronger traits, 4 additional utility skills to choose from, a new elite, a new heal and access to a new weapon.

If that was everything they gave you they might have a chance of being balanced, because in an ideal world every weapon, slot skill and traitline has times when it is strong, times when it is weak, and are generally equivalent.

But it also augments class functionality. Engineers get free ranged stomps/resses, druids get a whole new healy supporty mode, chronos get a new shatter that lets them use a tonne of stuff twice, etc.

Only ones that could be perceived as balanced are reaper and maybe dragonhunter. Balance cannot be achieved in its current state.