Guild Wars 2 race revealed: The Norn

Guild Wars 2 - The Norn

ArenaNet have launched Norn week. Every day they will post more information about the latest playable race in Guild Wars 2. The Norn are a race of shape-shifters that live in the icy lands of Shiverpeak. The Norn were originally seen in the Guild Wars expansion, Eye of the North. They're a huge and fiercely honourable race who can transform into animal hybrids to hunt.

So far ArenaNet have revealed a bit about the Norn temperament, saying that they're an honourable and optimistic race who pride themselves on their hunting prowess. They promise to play differently from the other Guild Wars 2 races.

Lore and Continuity Designer Ree Soesbee says “The norn are absolutely not 'big humans.' They have their own culture, their own ethics and morality. A norn seeks to master herself and drive her own body and soul to greatness through constantly testing her own physical limits.”

Guild Wars 2 lead writer Bobby Stein says “The norn starting experience is tonally very different from the human one. The happenings in Wayfarer Foothills, while dangerous, are more about hunting and celebration rather than outright war.”

Norn players will be fighting some unique foes in their homelands, including a race of giants called the Jotun, former slaves known as The Dredge, and a clan of rogue Norn who worship the Ice Dragon. You'll find more information on the new race on the Guild Wars 2 blog.

Tom Senior

Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.

Latest in MMO
Several tight-wearing superheroes surge towards the camera in a heroic fashion in City of Heroes.
One year later, City of Heroes' officially recognized fan server has me praying it's the future of dead MMOs
Several adventurers in World of Warcraft Classic's hardcore server crying over the death of a fallen comrade.
Blizzard plans to revive WoW Classic Hardcore characters 'at our sole discretion', after DDOS attack puts major streamer guild OnlyFangs in the ground
A forester from Old School Runescape, contemplating life next to his pheasant friend on a green field.
You can finally try out Old School RuneScape’s first new skill in nearly two decades right now
Ghoul in sunglasses
After years of playing as stupid, boring humans in Fallout, you can finally channel your inner Walton Goggins and become a ghoul in Fallout 76
WoW Classic: Season of Discovery
World of Warcraft Classic’s Season of Discovery may be teasing a legendary weapon that players have speculated is in the game for two decades
Gallywix wears an uneasy smile as he's confronted by Xal'atath in WoW: The War Within.
After 12 days and 100s of wipes, World of Warcraft's latest world first raid ends in anticlimax: 'That's the boss?!?'
Latest in News
Assassin's Creed Shadows promo image
Ubisoft scores a legendary ratio against Elon Musk on his own platform—which hopefully marks a final end to all the Assassin's Creed Shadows' culture war nonsense
Tzarina Katarin Bokha, the Ice Queen of Kislev
Total War: Warhammer 3 rolls out a cool Kislev overhaul, changes befitting Tzeench’s magic, new projectile units and creakier skeletal horses
An image of a golden first place award from Geoguessr
'We're actually getting GeoGuessr on Steam before GTA 6': the Google Street View puzzler arrives on Valve's platform this April
Napster client circa 1999
Former music-pirating platform Napster to be reborn rather ironically as a metaverse for musicians to connect with their fans after $207 million deal
The snazzy red and black HyperX Cloud Alpha wireless headphones float in a teal void. The microphone is attached to the headset.
The best wireless gaming headset is now even better in the Amazon Big Spring Sale, boasting a more than $50 discount
A chip being held up in an Intel fab
Intel is reportedly 'working to finalize commitments from Nvidia' as a foundry partner, suggesting gaming potential for the 18A node