First-Ever Guild Wars 2 Raid Coming November 17

The wait is almost over and Guild Wars 2's first raid experience, Spirit Vale, will be launching on November 17. The first of three raid wings, Spirit Vale will be representative of the kind of raiding experience players can expect in Guild Wars 2.

ArenaNet promises raiding that requires players to focus on real-time strategies rather than staring at a UI. On-the-fly weapon and ability changes will be available within the raid and players will be expected to make use of dodge rolling and positioning for attacks between keys in order to beat the raid. Spirit Vale will not require the conventional tank, healer, and DPS trinity to complete it.

Raiders can expect a variety of rewards for their efforts -- including the ability to unlock legendary armor.

It is worth noting that while the base game for Guild Wars 2 is free-to-play, participation in the raid content will require the purchase of the recently released expansion, Heart of Thorns.