Development studio ArenaNet has announced the next Living World season titled The Icebrood Saga. The saga will start in September.

In the new season players will travel to the Northern Shiverpeaks and delve into Charr and Norn civilizations and culture. The Icebrood Saga will provide different aspects and perspectives of these two races. The Flame Legion will also be part of the the story content.

The saga marks a new adventure in the Guild Wars 2 story and is said to be "bigger than a season." Four content teams are currently working on the new content.

The Icebrood Saga will introduce a wealth of new features, including Strike Missions, which are epic 10-man boss encounters that combine the group coordination skills of raids with the large-scale conflict of a Guild Wars 2 meta event.

New boss creatures will also populate the environments of Grothmar Valley and the Northern Shiverpeaks, including the ominous, newly-awakened Drakkar first seen in the original Guild Wars, while new Masteries will be available in Episode One and Episode Two that will explore the history and influence of the Spirits of the Wild, the mystic animal deities of the norn.

The prologue episode "Bound by Blood" will be available on September 17, 2019, and will be free of charge for all players who own the Path of Fire expansion pack.

Along with the announcement, the studio has also announced a new expansion deal. Players that own the latest expansion pack Path of Fire will get the first expansion pack Heart of Thorns for free.

Those who already own the expansion pack Heart of Thorns will get a Veteran Package containing an exclusive Mordrem Glider, the exclusive "Vanguard" title, and a Heart of Thorns Veteran's Armor Voucher you can use to select one of sixteen Gem Store armor skins.