11:12
The Future of Guild Wars: Our Commitment to Tyria
Guild Wars 2
Overview
This video announces Guild Wars 3 and outlines ArenaNet's commitment to supporting its existing Guild Wars titles: Guild Wars Reforged (formerly Guild Wars 1), Guild Wars 2, and the upcoming Guild Wars 3. The company details plans for continued development and new content across all three games, emphasizing a strategy of simultaneous support rather than abandoning older titles. Key initiatives include modernizing Guild Wars 2, expanding Guild Wars Reforged to new platforms like mobile, and introducing features like the Hall of Monuments 2.0 to connect player progression across games.
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Chapters
- Guild Wars 3 has been announced, marking the first new major game in the franchise in over a decade, set in a different era of Tyria.
- ArenaNet is committed to actively developing Guild Wars Reforged and Guild Wars 2 for many years, assuring players they are not being replaced.
- Unlike the past, where focus shifted entirely to Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet will now support all three games simultaneously.
- Player support for reinvesting in older titles, like Guild Wars Reforged, has shown that dedicated development brings players back and attracts new ones.
This sets the stage for the future of the franchise, reassuring the existing player base about the longevity of their current games while introducing the next major installment.
The studio is not repeating the past mistake of abandoning Guild Wars 1 when Guild Wars 2 was released; instead, they are actively developing both.
- Guild Wars 1 has been rebranded as Guild Wars Reforged and is being revitalized with co-developer Two Weeks Games.
- The game is now integrated with Steam, including full Steam Deck support, with a significant portion of players utilizing it.
- Access has been simplified: all players who previously bought any campaign can now play all campaigns for free.
- Development is underway to bring Guild Wars Reforged to mobile devices, adapting the UI for smaller, high-resolution screens.
- Two new dungeons have been released, and work has begun on an entirely new type of content for the game.
This demonstrates a significant investment in the original game, making it more accessible and playable on modern devices, thus broadening its player base.
Integrating Guild Wars Reforged with Steam led to about half of Steam players trying it on Steam Deck within the first month.
- Guild Wars 2 will receive continued support for years, with a focus on projects outside of traditional expansions.
- A new Hall of Monuments system will be introduced, allowing players to carry accomplishments from Guild Wars 2 to Guild Wars 3.
- The game will undergo modernization and polishing, updating older content to current design standards, fixing bugs, and improving the early game experience.
- A brand new Borderlands map is being developed for World vs. World players, with community involvement in its design.
- A new open-world map set in the iconic location of Orr will be released, bridging Guild Wars 2 and Guild Wars 3.
These initiatives aim to enhance the existing Guild Wars 2 experience, connect it to the future of the franchise, and address long-standing player feedback.
The Zitan fight in the personal story is an example of older content being updated to current design standards as part of the modernization effort.
- After the current expansion 'Visions of Eternity' concludes, development will pause on new expansions for approximately one year to focus on modernization and other projects.
- The Hall of Monuments 2.0 will roll out in phases, starting with the core game and then progressing through expansions.
- Under-the-hood improvements include client/server performance upgrades and modernizing the development pipeline, such as implementing physics-based rendering (PBR).
- Player feedback on modernization priorities will be gathered through dedicated forums.
- The new Borderlands map development will involve community feedback through a Greybox prototype on live servers.
This strategic pause allows for crucial foundational improvements to Guild Wars 2, ensuring its long-term health and player satisfaction, while also setting up future connections.
The team is upgrading the game engine to use physics-based rendering (PBR) to enable faster and better new content creation.
- The new Orr map in Guild Wars 2 will be a core game addition, free for all players, serving as a bridge to Guild Wars 3.
- The Hall of Monuments in Guild Wars 2 is expected to encourage players experiencing Guild Wars 3 first to try Guild Wars 2.
- ArenaNet is grateful for the community's welcoming nature, which reinforces the franchise's reputation.
- Future communications will include more details on Guild Wars 3's setting and live streams with developers to answer community questions.
This highlights the interconnectedness of the Guild Wars universe and the importance of the player community in its continued success and growth.
The new Hall of Monuments system is designed to incentivize players who discover the franchise through Guild Wars 3 to also play Guild Wars 2.
Key takeaways
- ArenaNet is committed to supporting Guild Wars Reforged, Guild Wars 2, and Guild Wars 3 simultaneously, a shift from past development strategies.
- Guild Wars Reforged is receiving significant updates, including Steam integration, mobile support, and new content, making it more accessible.
- Guild Wars 2 will undergo a year-long modernization phase focused on improving existing content, player experience, and technical foundations, rather than releasing new expansions.
- The Hall of Monuments 2.0 will serve as a bridge, allowing players to carry achievements and rewards across Guild Wars 2 and Guild Wars 3.
- New content, such as a new Borderlands map for WvW and an open-world map in Orr, is planned for Guild Wars 2.
- The development of Guild Wars 3 is a major focus, with plans to reveal more about its setting and story in upcoming communications.
- Player feedback is crucial for ongoing development, particularly for initiatives like the new Borderlands map and Guild Wars 2 modernization.
Key terms
Guild Wars 3Guild Wars ReforgedGuild Wars 2ArenaNetTyriaHall of Monuments 2.0Steam DeckPhysics-Based Rendering (PBR)World vs. World (WvW)Orr
Test your understanding
- How is ArenaNet's approach to supporting Guild Wars Reforged and Guild Wars 2 different from how they handled Guild Wars 1 when Guild Wars 2 was released?
- What are the key improvements planned for Guild Wars Reforged, and how will they impact player accessibility?
- Describe the major initiatives planned for Guild Wars 2 during its modernization phase, and explain why a pause on expansions is necessary for these.
- What is the purpose of the Hall of Monuments 2.0, and how does it connect the different games in the Guild Wars franchise?
- How will player feedback be incorporated into the development of new content, such as the Borderlands map for World vs. World?