Route

Buying expansions in GW2 is easiest when you stop thinking “newest = best” and start thinking “foundation first.” Here are the buying routes that consistently create the best experience per dollar—no matter your playstyle.

Route A: The Foundation Route (movement + core endgame)

1. Buy Path of Fire + Heart of Thorns bundle first if you don’t own them.

• Why: This is the single biggest quality-of-life jump in GW2. You unlock the systems that make the world feel like GW2 at level 80: mounts (Path of Fire) and gliding/masteries (Heart of Thorns).

1. Add End of Dragons next if you want a modern endgame loop and another full set of elite specializations.

• Why: Cantha content is dense, social, and rewarding—and it’s a clean “next step” into strikes, fishing/skiffs, and more build options.

1. Then pick ONE modern annual expansion based on your goals (below), instead of buying everything at once.

Route B: The “I Care About Story” Route (clean narrative order)

If you want the story in the smoothest order, aim for:

• Core personal story → Living World Season 1 (free) → Living World Season 2 → Heart of Thorns → Living World Season 3 → Path of Fire → Living World Season 4 → Icebrood Saga (Season 5) → End of Dragons → Secrets of the Obscure → Janthir Wilds → Visions of Eternity

The big money trap here: Living World Seasons are huge, and buying them episode-by-episode is usually the most expensive way to do it. If story is your priority, a bundle that includes Living World Seasons 2–5 is often the smartest “one-and-done” purchase.

Route C: The “I Want Endgame Builds Fast” Route

If your main goal is “get me raid/strike/fractal ready with a strong build ASAP,” your order should be:

1. Any expansion (to remove free-account friction and permanently unlock your early mount basics)
2. Path of Fire + Heart of Thorns (hero point trains, mounts, gliding, elite specs)
3. End of Dragons (more elite specs and modern endgame content)
4. Visions of Eternity (if you want the newest elite specializations and current meta experimentation)
5. Secrets of the Obscure (if you specifically want buildcraft flexibility systems like weapon access/relic ecosystem plus rift gameplay)

Route D: The “I Play for Exploration & Chill Collecting” Route

If you live for map completion, open-world metas, fashion, and relaxed progression:

1. Path of Fire + Heart of Thorns for movement freedom and classic map design highs
2. End of Dragons for cozy systems (skiffs, fishing) and gorgeous zones
3. Secrets of the Obscure for sky exploration, rifts, Wizard’s Vault rewards cadence
4. Janthir Wilds for homesteads (housing), land spear novelty, and long-term collecting

Route E: The “Housing & Personal Space” Route

If you want homesteads and decorating to be a core hobby:

1. Janthir Wilds first (homesteads are the headline feature)
2. Visions of Eternity second if you want the added homestead map + layout swapping features that expand decorating flexibility (and you want the newest elite specializations too)
3. Backfill older expansions afterward for movement/tools and story, so your “housing life” also has efficient farms behind it

Quick decision shortcuts (pick the first line that matches you):

• “I’m new and I want the game to feel good.” → Path of Fire + Heart of Thorns
• “I want the whole dragon saga story without piecing it together.” → Elder Dragon Saga Complete Collection
• “I’m here for Cantha and modern group PvE.” → End of Dragons
• “I want a steady quarterly reward loop and buildcraft toys.” → Secrets of the Obscure
• “I want housing + land spear + a new raid wing style rollout.” → Janthir Wilds
• “I want brand-new elite specs and the newest ‘current’ endgame.” → Visions of Eternity

Loot

This is what you’re actually buying—without the marketing fog. Think of each expansion as a “loot chest” that contains: systems, maps, build options, and repeatable value.

Core game (free) – what you get and what you don’t

• You can play the entire core world and story for free, but free accounts have restrictions designed to limit abuse (chat/trading/social friction).
• When you upgrade with an expansion, you generally unlock quality-of-life perks that make GW2 feel like a real MMO account: things like log-in rewards, more comfortable social features, and smoother inventory progression.

Heart of Thorns (2015) – the “vertical jungle + mastery era begins” expansion

What you gain

• Mastery system for level-80 progression (account-wide progression style that became foundational to GW2).
• The Heart of the Maguuma jungle maps with layered traversal (vertical design that rewards gliding and route knowledge).
• Elite Specializations for every profession (a major power/identity shift at endgame).
• Revenant profession introduced here (if you want to play Revenant, this matters historically and mechanically).
• Guild Halls and early Raids era content.

Who should buy it

• You want challenging open-world traversal and metas that reward coordination.
• You want to unlock the “GW2 endgame character progression philosophy” (masteries) in its original form.
• You want to experience one of the game’s most iconic map designs.

Who can delay it

• If you’re overwhelmed by difficulty spikes and want a smoother exploration experience first, you might enjoy Path of Fire’s mount freedom before committing to jungle navigation.

Path of Fire (2017) – the “movement revolution” expansion

What you gain

• Mount system and mount masteries: this is the single biggest “world opens up” purchase in GW2 history.
• Crystal Desert / Elona maps designed for large-scale movement, bounties, and exploration loops.
• Another full set of elite specializations (endgame builds and role diversity expand again).
• Repeatable systems like bounties that work great for casual groups and farming.

Important nuance about mounts

• Buying Path of Fire doesn’t instantly hand you every mount in the game. You unlock the mount ecosystem and start earning mounts through gameplay, mastery training, and collections. The “mount journey” is part of the content.
• Even before full mount collections, simply having permanent access to basic mount movement changes leveling, map completion, and daily life.

Why many players buy this first

• It reduces friction everywhere: events, gathering, exploration, hero point trains, story steps, and just moving from A to B.

End of Dragons (2022) – Cantha, modern systems, and social endgame

What you gain

• The Canthan continent with a strong mix of story, exploration, and event chains.
• Fishing and skiffs (a social, chill progression track that also supports collections and achievements).
• Nine new elite specializations (another full build shake-up).
• A shared inventory slot and max level boost are commonly included with this expansion’s standard purchase edition, which helps new/returning players jump into level-80 content cleanly.

Who should buy it

• You want a strong “current-feeling” expansion that’s friendly for returning players.
• You enjoy organized group content and want more modern pathways into strikes and endgame routines.
• You want cozy systems like fishing that still connect to progress.

Secrets of the Obscure (2023) – the “buildcraft & steady quarterly loop” expansion

What you gain

• A self-contained story arc at launch that continues through major releases on a quarterly rhythm.
• Sky-themed exploration zones and a clear repeatable gameplay loop: rift hunting (tracking and closing rifts, escalating targets, and farming themed rewards).
• Wizard’s Vault: a system that rewards daily/weekly/seasonal play with currency you spend on rotating but persistent reward tracks.
• Buildcraft upgrades that matter across the whole account:
• Elite specialization weapon access (more flexibility in what weapons you can run with what build concept).
• Relics (a new slot concept that expands how you customize build effects and triggers).
• Advanced flight masteries designed to complement existing mount movement and add more “vertical freedom” across multiple maps.

Who should buy it

• You like structured repeatable progression that doesn’t depend on a huge raid schedule.
• You want systems that improve your whole account’s build flexibility.
• You want a modern “annual expansion model” experience with frequent updates.

Janthir Wilds (2024) – homesteads + land spear + new encounter structure

What you gain

• Two new maps at launch, with additional content released over quarterly updates.
• Homesteads: account-wide housing with decorating, cultivation, and social sharing potential, unlocked and improved through a mastery line.
• Wielding spears on land for every profession (a brand-new weapon type for terrestrial combat, with unique skills by profession).
• A new “raid and encounters” rollout: a new raid with three encounters that can also be experienced via large-group open-world accessibility.
• Warclaw integration into the story and PvE skills (Warclaw becomes a more mainstream mount path instead of being purely a WvW identity tool).
• Standard/Deluxe/Ultimate editions commonly include practical account value items like a shared inventory slot and max level boost, with higher editions adding cosmetics, character slots, tools, and currency bundles.

Who should buy it

• You want housing as a real hobby, not a side note.
• You want to play with the land spear weapon type and see how your profession feels with it.
• You want a year-long content cadence that supports long-term goals (legendary spear/backpack crafting, seasonal rewards).

Visions of Eternity (2025) – new elite specializations return + skimmer mastery + Castora

What you gain

• A brand-new expansion adventure set around the remote island of Castora, launching with two open-world regions and adding more maps as the story continues over the year.
• New elite specializations are back (fresh trait lines/mechanics/skills for all nine professions).
• A new Skimmer mastery track with updated abilities (movement and utility refresh for a classic mount).
• A content cadence that continues quarterly into the next year, including new raid encounters, convergence-style group fights, and a new fractal with challenge mode in later updates.
• Strong long-term goals baked into the expansion loop: multiple new legendary rewards are part of the progression identity.
• Standard/Deluxe/Ultimate editions commonly include a shared inventory slot, max level boost, and edition cosmetics; higher editions add things like character slots, permanent gathering tools, and premium currency bundles.

Who should buy it

• You want the newest build ecosystem and love experimenting with fresh elite specs.
• You enjoy “follow the expansion over the year” content models rather than waiting years between big releases.
• You want skimmer improvements and the newest endgame-access updates.

Living World Seasons – the “missing chapters” that are easy to underestimate

Living World Seasons are not small side quests. They often include:

• Full story arcs that connect expansion narratives
• Their own explorable maps with currencies and meta-events
• Collections, masteries (in some eras), and long-term legendary journeys

The simplest value rule: if you want story continuity and lots of playable maps, a collection that includes Living World Seasons 2–5 is usually the highest-value “content per dollar” buy you can make.

Bundles and collections – what they’re really for

• Elder Dragon Saga collections exist to bundle the first three expansions and (in the “complete” version) bundle Living World Seasons so you don’t have to piece together the story era between expansions.
• Buying expansions one-by-one is fine if you’re very sure about your path, but bundles are often the most efficient for anyone who wants: story + maps + endgame tools in one purchase.

Extraction

“Extraction” means: once you buy an expansion, what should you do first so you feel the upgrade immediately—and so the expansion pays you back in daily play value.

Extraction Plan 1: You bought your first expansion (any expansion)

Do these in your first 60 minutes

• Log in, claim account upgrades, and confirm your account type is upgraded (your social/trading and quality-of-life features should feel less restricted).
• Hit level 10 on any character (or check your existing characters) so your early mount experience becomes permanent instead of a short trial.
• Decide what your level-80 boost is for before clicking it. Smart boost targets:
• A profession you already like and want to take into endgame
• A profession with strong support options if you plan to join group content
• A “resource farmer” character for open-world meta trains and map completion

Extraction Plan 2: You bought Path of Fire + Heart of Thorns

Your goal is to unlock movement + elite specs fast, because that’s the biggest power spike.

First day checklist

• Unlock core movement tools:
• Start with Path of Fire to establish mount progression and travel freedom.
• Pivot into Heart of Thorns to begin gliding and mastery progress as soon as you’re comfortable.
• Start hero point progress:
• Elite specializations require hero points; the fastest way is joining hero point trains in expansion zones.
• Even a partial hero point session can unlock your first elite spec core traits quickly.
• Set one “mastery focus” at a time:
• Don’t spread mastery points across too many tracks early. Pick one track and finish meaningful breakpoints first (you’ll feel the upgrade immediately).

“Feel-good” goals for the first week

• One elite specialization fully unlocked on your main
• At least one mount mastery improvement that changes traversal (not just speed)
• Gliding basics unlocked so jungle traversal stops feeling like punishment

Extraction Plan 3: You added End of Dragons

End of Dragons pays you back when you treat it as both a story expansion and a daily loop expansion.

First weekend checklist

• Unlock your elite specialization path (hero points + build setup).
• Sample Cantha’s repeatable content:
• Do a couple of large event chains to understand which maps feel rewarding for your time.
• Start the cozy progression (if you enjoy it):
• Fishing + skiff progression is strongest when you treat it like “little daily goals” instead of a grind marathon.

“Feel-good” goals for the first week

• A working endgame build you can confidently take into group content
• A clear daily routine: one or two map metas you enjoy + one build/gear improvement goal

Extraction Plan 4: You bought Secrets of the Obscure

This expansion shines when you lean into its systems.

First day checklist

• Open the Wizard’s Vault and choose goals you’ll actually finish (daily/weekly choices should fit your schedule).
• Try rift hunting at the easiest tier first to learn the loop, then scale up once your build feels stable.
• Start adjusting buildcraft:
• If you’re rebuilding your character after years away, treat relic/weapon flexibility as a reason to simplify: one strong, reliable setup first—then experiment.

“Feel-good” goals for the first week

• A consistent Wizard’s Vault routine you can do in 15–30 minutes
• A rift route you enjoy (so the expansion becomes “easy value” when you log in)

Extraction Plan 5: You bought Janthir Wilds

Janthir Wilds is two expansions in one: traditional maps + your homestead life.

First weekend checklist

• Unlock your homestead and its mastery progression:
• Focus on mastery milestones that unlock practical benefits (access, convenience, resource nodes) before you chase pure aesthetics.
• Test land spear on your profession:
• Don’t assume it’s “best in slot.” Treat it as a new tool and learn where it shines: burst windows, tagging, survivability, mobility, or utility.
• Choose your long-term crafts early:
• If you want the legendary spear/backpack goals, start collecting passively now so you don’t hate yourself later.

“Feel-good” goals for the first week

• A homestead you can actually use daily (not just an empty instance)
• A weapon plan: spear if you love it, or ignore it confidently if you don’t

Extraction Plan 6: You bought Visions of Eternity

The value here is front-loaded for build nerds and long-loaded for endgame grinders.

First day checklist

• Pick one elite specialization to learn first, not nine.
• Build confidence on one character so the expansion feels powerful instead of chaotic.
• Train skimmer mastery milestones that change movement behavior (you want the mount to feel different, not just “slightly better”).
• Identify your long-term legendary path and start the low-effort parts immediately (daily/weekly progress adds up faster than you think).

“Feel-good” goals for the first week

• One new elite spec you can play in real content (open world + group content)
• A daily/weekly loop that supports your legendary goals without burnout

Practical Rules

These rules save money and prevent the most common “I bought the wrong thing” regrets

Rule 1: Buy on the platform you actually play on

If you play through a specific platform ecosystem, your purchases need to match that ecosystem. Don’t assume every account can freely mix purchases across launchers.

Rule 2: Don’t pay “episode-by-episode” prices for Living World unless you love pain

If you want the story and maps, a collection that includes Living World Seasons is usually far better value than piecing them together later.

Rule 3: Newest expansion first is rarely optimal for brand-new players

New expansions are designed around level-80 play, systems stacking, and player familiarity. If you’re new, the best first buy is the one that reduces friction everywhere (movement tools + foundational endgame unlocks).

Rule 4: Treat the level-80 boost like a tool, not a shortcut

Boosting is great when it helps you join friends, unlock masteries, or start a focused build journey. It’s bad when it’s used on a profession you haven’t even tried and then abandoned.

Rule 5: Buy Standard unless you specifically value the extras

Deluxe/Ultimate editions can be worth it if you love cosmetics, want extra character slots, or prefer bundled premium currency. But for pure gameplay access, Standard is usually enough.

Rule 6: One build first, experiments second

Every expansion adds new toys. The fastest way to “feel stronger” is to build one reliable setup first (survivable, consistent damage or support) and only then start experimenting.

BoostRoom Promo

If you want the expansion benefits without weeks of trial-and-error, BoostRoom can help you get the “good part” faster—without turning the game into a second job.

What BoostRoom can do for your expansion journey

• Expansion Purchase Planning (fast consult): tell us what you own and what you enjoy, and we’ll map the cheapest route to your goals.
• Build Setup & Rotation Coaching: one clean build, explained clearly, with practical “what to press and why” for open world and group play.
• Hero Point & Elite Spec Unlock Support: guided routes and efficient plans so you unlock your elite specialization without wandering aimlessly.
• Mount and Mastery Progression Coaching: prioritize the masteries that change your day-to-day gameplay first.
• Homestead Help (Janthir Wilds): layout planning, decoration strategy, and a “useful daily homestead” setup instead of a clutter pile.

BoostRoom’s focus is simple: more fun per hour. If you’re stuck, overwhelmed, or returning after years, you don’t need a lecture—you need a plan.

FAQ

Do I need expansions to enjoy GW2?

You can enjoy the core world for free, but expansions are where GW2 turns into the “full” experience: movement freedom, elite builds, modern systems, and the best long-term progression loops.

If I can only buy one thing, what’s the safest first purchase?

For most players, the safest first buy is the bundle that includes Path of Fire + Heart of Thorns because mounts + gliding reduce friction everywhere and unlock core endgame build paths.

What’s the best purchase for story continuity?

A collection that includes Living World Seasons 2–5 plus the first three expansions is usually the smoothest way to experience the “dragon saga era” without missing major chapters.

Do expansions give power, or just content?

Both. Expansions add maps and story, but also add build power through elite specializations, mastery progression, weapon options, and systems that affect combat performance and movement.

What’s the difference between End of Dragons and Secrets of the Obscure?

End of Dragons is a major continent expansion with Cantha, elite specs, and big thematic systems like skiffs/fishing. Secrets of the Obscure leans into a modern quarterly model with rifts, Wizard’s Vault, and buildcraft flexibility systems that affect your whole account.

Is Janthir Wilds worth it if I don’t care about housing?

It can be, because land spear and its year-long content cadence still matter. But if housing is your main reason to buy it, you’ll get far more value from it than someone who ignores homesteads entirely.

Is Visions of Eternity mainly for endgame players?

It’s great for endgame players because new elite specs and later raid/fractal-style content are a big draw. But anyone who loves experimenting with builds can enjoy it—just be ready to learn one elite spec at a time.

Should I buy Deluxe or Ultimate editions?

Buy them if you value cosmetics, character slots, permanent tools, or premium currency bundles. If you only want gameplay access, Standard is usually enough.

Do I need to buy expansions in order?

Not for pure gameplay—GW2 is flexible. But for story, buying/playing in order makes the narrative smoother and prevents spoilers and confusion.

What’s the fastest way to feel the benefit of an expansion immediately?

Pick one “instant impact” target: permanent mount access, gliding basics, one elite specialization unlocked, or a Wizard’s Vault daily routine. Don’t try to do everything at once.