Guild Wars 2 is gearing up to let players test-drive its all-new elite specializations ahead of the next expansion. ArenaNet has confirmed that the in-game beta for Visions of Eternity’s elite specs will run from August 20 to 27, giving players a full week to experiment with each new build before launch.
Visions of Eternity officially launches on October 28, 2025, and will deliver a year of content including three major updates. It kicks off in the enigmatic island of Castora, where players must confront the nefarious Inquest with two new open-world zones at launch and two more arriving later.
The expansion will bring new elite specializations for all nine professions—completely overhauling each class with new traits, mechanics, and healing, utility, and elite skills. This marks the first elite spec additions since End of Dragons. The new elite specs will all be playable during the beta week alongside revamped skimmer mount mechanics and the first of three raid encounters landing in 2026.
Beyond combat updates, Visions of Eternity will also add customizable beachside homesteads, a new legendary aquabreather, and a streamlined raids-and-strikes structure set to drop post-launch. ArenaNet plans to prioritize quality-of-life in the first content update and follow up later with more maps, story content, and legendary gear.
The Visions of Eternity beta will also paired with Twitch drops for viewers: you’ll be able to earn exclusive in-game rewards like the Inventor’s Sunglasses, a “/Hiss” emote tome, and a Ritualist outfit for just tuning in.
With Visions of Eternity launching in late October, the elite spec beta offers a rare peek at the expansion’s gameplay overhaul—and a chance to help tune classes firsthand. It’s shaping up to be a busy fall for Guild Wars 2 fans dying for something fresh in Tyria.
