What We Know So Far

It’s been a good two years since Guild Wars developer ArenaNet initially announced a proper sequel to its free-to-play (well, once you buy it), multi-campaign, sort-of massively multiplayer online role-playing game. In that time we’ve received assurances that Guild Wars 2 would move the series’ storyline forward over 200 years, affording us a peek at the dark fantasy world’s future. Moreover, Guild Wars’ highly instanced nature (where 20-plus copies of every major city exist, wilderness areas are totally private to the player or party exploring them, and towns feel more like lobbies than fleshed-out locations) gives way to true large-scale persistency, with shared world objectives allowing players to influence the flow of events en masse.

What’s New for Penny Arcade Expo

And we still don’t have a lot of hard details. ArenaNet’s PAX presentation revolved around lore-related information, with fantasy-author-turned-ArenaNet-writer Jeff Grubb leading the charge. It’s no surprise given Guild Wars’ longstanding emphasis on story (it’s one of the few MMOs to spin an engaging narrative that amounts to more than quest-NPC flavor text).

The quick version of what’s going down on the continent of Tyria as Guild Wars 2 opens: Elder dragons — massive and ancient beings who exist to corrupt and devour everything they lay eyes (or teeth) on — have awakened, and boy, do they need dealin’ with. Fortunately, heroes from each of Tyria’s trademark racial groups (humans, minotaur-like Charr, hulking battle-thirsty Norn, alien-lookin’ Asura, and tree-hugging Sylvari) are up to the task.

Why You Should (or Shouldn’t) Care

Again, we know zero in terms of detailed gameplay information. Guild Wars 2′s 2007 announcement was posed as something of a reassurance to fans who might have otherwise felt slighted due to the relative radio silence after the last Guild Wars campaign’s retail release. Most developers tend to announce games only once they have a bit of rough gameplay to show off, so in a way, Guild Wars 2′s existence was revealed pretty prematurely. It’s great to see that ArenaNet values its fans above all else… but man, it doesn’t make the wait any less agonizing.

Guild Wars 2 was revealed to the mob attending gamescom earlier this week for the first time. The sequel MMORPG is set some 250 years after the events of the first game took place, and we’ve got screen captures from the trailer for you to enjoy.

The trailer details some of the game’s amazing graphics and new locations, and while we’ll have to wait longer to see more of the actual gameplay, NCsoft released the following words:
Guild Wars 2 is a visually stunning MMO that will offer players the epic grandeur of a massive role playing environment combined with the challenge of world-class player vs. player competition. Building on the success and lessons of Guild Wars, ArenaNet is creating an MMO that lets gamers play the way they want, while at the same time retaining the no-subscription-fee business model that has made the original Guild Wars so popular.

We’re right in the middle of a busy, exciting gamescom, but I thought I’d take a moment on day three of the show to share some great news: Guild Wars 2 has just been awarded Best Online Game for gamescom 2010!

We’ve been eager to show off Guild Wars 2 for the first time at gamescom, and the response from fans to the hands-on demo has been overwhelmingly positive. This is our opportunity to demonstrate that all of the features we’ve been talking about for the past few months are real, not just hype, and we’re gratified that fans have really enjoyed playing the demo. Awards are fantastic, but let’s face it: connecting with players and earning their enthusiasm is the real prize at gamescom.

Those ArenaNet staffers who aren’t in Cologne are still playing a vital role at gamescom; our entire studio here in the Seattle area has been playing the game remotely with show attendees all week. We’ve been having a blast meeting and playing alongside our European fans in-game – it’s been like one big international LAN party!

We’re bringing the hands-on Guild Wars 2 demo to the States in two weeks at PAX in Seattle (Sept 3-5), and we’d love to see you there. Even if you can’t play the demo, keep an eye on this blog for more Guild Wars 2 news and information.

Just in time for gamescom, we’ve dug up the necromancer, a master of dark arts who wields the power of death… and life! This sinister Guild Wars 2 profession can summon undead minions, suck the life force from enemies, and cheat death with the eerie Death Shroud ability! Unearth the uncanny necromancer and his strange abilities here!

In our new MMO Manifesto video, ArenaNet Studio Lead Mike O’Brien and key creators explain how Guild Wars 2 will defy MMO conventions and create a new kind of game – free from boring grind and static, unchanging worlds. Loaded with incredible gameplay footage, the MMO Manifesto video charts a bold new direction in gaming. Watch it right here!