Rumor: Guild Wars 2 Going Free-To-Play

Jason Winter
By Jason Winter, News Editor
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Well, there's something to get your PAX news cycle going.

As you can see above, IGN Tweeted out and then deleted the news that Guild Wars 2's core game would be going free-to-play, probably after the Heart of Thorns expansion goes live later this year. (The other part, about raid content, is known to be revealed this weekend.)

I could probably go on for several paragraphs, but I'm hesitant to speculate too much on the effect this will have on the game or its community or economy until we receive some kind of confirmation and an exact idea of what this (potential) plan entails. And, to be honest, I'm still going back and forth with several people myself discussing the ramifications and forming my own thoughts.

The only thing I will say is that I don't feel like any such move is a sign that GW2 is "dying." The financials are still good, a new expansion is on the way, and it includes the core game, which ArenaNet has practically given away -- discounting it for as low as $5-$10 during sales -- for the past few years, so making it "free" isn't really that much of a change.

ArenaNet has a presentation planned for Saturday morning at PAX Prime, so we'll probably learn everything we need to know about this topic then. For now, we'll just leave you with this bit of news and let you form your own opinion. Good? Bad? No big deal? Let us know what you think!

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In this article: Ncsoft, Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet.

About the Author

Jason Winter
Jason Winter, News Editor
Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.

Discussion (20)

chaos 7 years ago
I fail to see the merit in this........what benefit could this possibly have on a b2p title.
Retro 7 years ago
I don't even play GW2 but i don't want the to go f2p because it would be difficult for the staff to get paid unless they go either P2W or follow rifts business model where the best gear is earned and most stuff bought with creadits are cosmetic and have a subscription for those who want a little bit more stuff like 60%xp viles or something.
View 1 reply
Dead game 7 years ago
Games dead so they have to go F2P lmfao. ANet needs to try again with gw3 and not fuck it up like they did with gw2
View 2 replies
NebulaX 7 years ago
It is possible that ArenaNet will go F2P as oppose to B2P.
NCSoft decided to have Wildstar go F2P so it would make sense from a financial perspective .
And that Blade & Soul is also a F2P title only adds to the idea that NCSoft is backing away from the subscription model altogether with maybe an option for players that want to pay
a monthly elite sub like Tera has.
jellopy 7 years ago
I agree with the ones protesting actually. For one the GW2 currently is for the most part mature and the transition will flood us with endless volleys of trolls. While normally i'd just cope I go to this game to relax because of the mostly calm community. The second being that I spent 60 bucks to gain access and virtual compensation isn't going to cut it with the stress factor being introduced. I want a free upgrade to the expanded content as compensation and that will never happen. So I won't be playing guild wars any further as a result.
Nanbobobo 7 years ago
Why everyone crying "better be a rumor". Core game is already dead. Expantions would still cost you the same it costs now... It is B2P with purchasable content which they swore would not be the case (lies), so...F2P core is a great idea since it's core game play is not worth a single cent you put in the box any ways (as much more F2P titles offer more and better for free...What do I pay for end of day? Ugly character models I guess...)
View 1 reply
Edenas 7 years ago
Well, in my opinion IGN just made a mistake. Maybe they that the core game will be free when buying the expansion and Guild Wars 2 is already buy-to-play, I highly doubt that it will become f2p. I would love if they had free trial time, so people can try it before purchasing, but it's better for it to stay the way that it is now. A bad f2p model would destroy this game.
Mystika 7 years ago
Apparently there was a datamine of the game awhile back which revealed they were going to do F2P starter accounts, similar to WoW. I'd imagine it would be something like first 15 levels free, access to all starting regions and cities.
ignmmoyeahright 7 years ago
Nah ign just doesn't know anything about mmo just like most mmo reviewers. They play the game to lvl 10 at most and think they can talk about games. I think it would be more likely that ign just didn't completely understand the payment model they have and said something dumb.
The expansion coming out is going to cost like full price.
And I wouldn't really expect ign to be the first to hear of mmo news as big as that. Either way I already paid 60 bux for the game 3 years ago so it's no more f2p then wat it was the money is gone unless im getting a refund.
Grims Bane 7 years ago
Have strong doubts it will be f2p, however yea the core game comes free with the purchase of the expansion now they may say that, but no I highly doubt it will legitimately go f2p, as b2p is there prominent market and source of income.
ASDAS 7 years ago
It's gonna be a Rumor, is odvious.

However, if the F2P option becomes part of GW2, it will be almost exactly as SWTOR.. I can see it already,
fknobromo 7 years ago
Better not! ANET is fkin up bruh!
Yuen 7 years ago
Oh **** it better be a rumor.
SlightlyMad 7 years ago
another attempt to make people who will play it for free because didn't had the money to buy it before pay for it now.
View 2 replies

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