It’s Official, We’re Getting Guild Wars 3

Well, we knew we were getting some sort of announcement out of ArenaNet during today’s Summer Game Fest stream. And I think a lot of people guessed it would be Guild Wars 3. Well, those people were correct – even if that correctness was born out of pure hope.

The developer revealed the game today during the keynote livestream, noting that this will be the studio’s first new game since 2012. They describe the new games as more than a new era for the company and IP, but “for MMORPGs as a whole”. It will, as Guild Wars 3 Game Director and ArenaNet studio head, Colin Johanson, put it, offer fans “new, modern experiences” and “push MMORPGs forward, to create an online game world that feels believable, rewarding, responsive, and innovative while at the same time respecting players’ time and providing a positive, supportive space to build community and enjoy new stories”.

Despite the ‘3’ in the game’s title, it is not a sequel. Rather, it’s set a thousand years before the original Guild Wars game in a vast wilderness frontier region known as Orr. The region is magic-heavy and filled with nature creatures known as Vael spirits. Guilds fight over the region, either to protect or exploit it.

ArenaNet is planning on launching the game’s first beta test sometime in the fall of 2027. So, there’s a bit of a wait. But considering this is an MMO, it’s not surprising. The ArenaNet team plans to share more details on the game in the near future in write-ups and via streams. So keep an eye out.