During Summer Game Fest, ArenaNet officially announced Guild Wars 3 to the world. This third entry in the long-running Guild Wars MMORPG franchise will be the first entirely new game since the 2012 release of Guild Wars 2. No release date was suggested, but we were told that Guild Wars 3 will be a global release on PC, Steam, and PlayStation 5.
Not only will this be a simultaneous release across both Steam and ArenaNet's own Guild Wars 3 launcher, but it will also mark the first time that Guild Wars will appear on a home console. This not only means that the game will feature the usual mouse and keyboard support on PC, but it will also feature controller support right out of the gate.
Guild Wars 3's debut trailer includes "in-engine gameplay footage."
Guild Wars 3 is set over 1,000 years before the events of the first Guild Wars title. The game will take place in the Tyrian region of Orr, which is "a vast wilderness frontier imbued with the world's magic."
Nature entities with strong connections to the land called Vael spirits embody the vitality of this lush, verdant landscape. Various guilds are engaged in conflict over how to protect or exploit the bounty beyond civilization’s borders. These multitudinous spirits will vary in size and influence within the ecosystems around them, with the most notable of these being the Seeker. As seen in the trailer, every player’s Seeker will serve as a connection to the spirits of Orr and a mount that will carry them on their journeys through the game’s open world.
Movement, specifically the transfer of momentum, will be a big focus for Guild Wars 3. ArenaNet says that the combat system was designed from the start to feel great on either controller or on mouse and keyboard. Players will be able to seamlessly transition between various movement modes, even being able to harness their speed and "turn it into bigger damage and impact when fighting their foes."
The first beta for Guild Wars 3 is expected to drop in fall 2027. ArenaNet says that there will be more information on pricing, beta tests, release date, and gameplay features shared later this year and throughout 2027.
