Combining epic fantasy storytelling with deep player skill building, competitive multiplayer battles, and a seamless online mission structure for up to four players, Guild Wars redefined the genre and won numerous awards and critical acclaim.

Begin in Guild Wars on the continent of Tyria where the human kingdoms are under attack by the vicious Charr. Journey on to the ancient continent of Cantha in Factions, a land torn apart by political strife, and threatened by the restless spirit of a long-dead traitor. Lastly, explore exotic Elona in Nightfall, where players must do battle against a god to save the land from descending into eternal night.

In large head-to-head guild battles, cooperative group combat, and single player missions, players will explore a fantasy world while pursuing professions and acquiring skills to develop their own personalized character.

Released in 2005, Guild Wars, played for over 1 billion hours by over nine million players, is receiving a huge update to its player experience and user interface as developer ArenaNet and co-dev partner studio 2weeks bring controller support and updated visual fidelity to the game while simultaneously consolidating all of its expansions for the new price of $19.99.

Beginning December 3, Guild Wars Reforged will launch on Steam and Windows PC. This new all-inclusive package brings together the complete library of the original Guild Wars’ campaigns Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall, and makes the game Steam Deck verified. The update will be free for all existing players and available for new players on Steam and directly from ArenaNet at guildwars.com. It also adds XInput controller support for the first time.

This new and improved Guild Wars experience is not just limited to controller input options; the update will also improve in-game functionality by adding high-DPI support for modern high-resolution monitors, new HD skill icons, rendering improvements including new antialiasing options, ambient occlusion, enhanced bloom, more font size options for game text, enhanced 3D environmental audio, and a new quest-tracker that will help players navigate to their next adventure on their monitor or TV.

Guild Wars Reforged is a co-development initiative between ArenaNet and partner studio 2weeks, who were formed in 2024 from former ArenaNet staff who were excited to return to the franchise after a 15-year break. The 2weeks team has more than 14 years of combined experience working on the original Guild Wars at ArenaNet.

“Even after two decades, we’re still passionate about improving the experience of the original Guild Wars for players,” said game director Stephen Clarke-Willson. “The game has a dedicated group of fans, and with this update to modernize the experience, we hope players new and old will find a reason to continue adventuring through Tyria together.”

“It’s a real treat to revisit the original Guild Wars,” said Brandon Dillon, co-founder of 2weeks. “Beginning as a teenager, I’ve been involved with this franchise from the very start, collaborating with the original studio founders to create the world of Tyria. Partnering with ArenaNet to update and improve the player experience means the game can continue to be a beloved beacon for fans of multiplayer online RPGs for years to come.”

To see Guild Wars Reforged in action and hear from both 2weeks and ArenaNet developers, join us tomorrow, November 19, on our Twitch channel at 11 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8) for a special livestream hosted by one of our partners, Laranity.

New Features

• New low price
• Steam Deck Verified (pending)
• Support for XInput controllers (such as the Xbox Wireless Controller)
• New quest tracking and direction system
• On-screen control guide
• UI enhanced with HD skill icons, larger text options, and quality-of-life improvements
• Support for high DPI displays
• New ambient occlusion, HD bloom, and antialiasing rendering enhancements
• Rebuilt audio system with environmental effects (no hardware support needed)

Guild Wars is available on PC (Steam).