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When writing the characters of Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons, one of the things we focused on was creating characters and stories that a variety of players could empathize with and relate to Everyone should feel represented in Tyria.

Just like our players have their own unique perspectives and experiences, we always want to make sure that all players feel represented and seen. To craft a game world that is realistic and convincing to the player, we need a variety of voices and experiences to help tell that story. For End of Dragons, we sought to cast voice actors of various nationalities, specifically those of East Asian descent to best tell these stories.

Rina Hoshino, a famous Japanese actress, played the voice of Navan, one of the main female characters in the expansion. Rina brought emotion and nuance to her character, which fully enriched Navan's story arc.

ArenaNet has been taking steps to craft characters that have diverse voices. I am delighted to be able to take a role in this endeavor and will continue to put my best efforts forward to make sure that we’re telling stories that feel reactive but are also incredibly inclusive.

When creating stories for a game, I try to hone in on those core, human components of who we are as people and what we care about, rather than relying on stereotypes of what “woman are like”, or what “someone of Asian descent is like.” I believe that by treating each character as an unique individual with their own experiences, hopes, and fears, we can create a game world with characters that various players empathize with.

Cantha, the setting for Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons, is a region inspired by greatly by Korean history and culture. When creating the world of Cantha, ArenaNet made it a point to avoid stereotypes and maintain authenticity by  conducting thorough research on various areas of Korean culture, including architecture, music, food, and clothing.

For one of Cantha's new areas, Shing Jea Island, I partnered with game designers to create a story where the player helps a child locate lost toys. The toys referenced come from traditional Korean games, including yut nori andgonggi. Also, when writing the Shing Jea meta, I named the lead female characters after Ryu Gwan-sun and Lee Tai-young because the two were important female figures in South Korean society. My hope is that these details resonate with our players in a way that makes them feel all the more connected to the gameplay experience.