Guild Wars gets its first major gameplay update in almost 20 years

Guild Wars gets its first major gameplay update in almost 20 years

It's alive!

ArenaNet and co-dev studio 2Weeks have announced Guild Wars Afterlife - the first major update for the game in nearly 20 years.

Coming to PC and mobile, Afterlife will add a new dynamic dungeon that'll morph after each run, and a skill-drafting system that'll allow you to create a distinct skill bar that'll change each time you take it on. There'll also of course be a new narrative to dig into, as players find new characters to interact with, and the new region of Xotecha to explore.

Afterlife is set to release on the 13th January next year, and will retail for $29.99 / €29.99 / £25.99. However, if you pre-order it between now and the 13th January, you can get it at a 20 percent discount.

This is a pretty big deal: the last time Guild Wars 1 got a massive injection of new stuff to dive into was back in August 2007 with the Eye of the North expansion. Following this, ArenaNet would move on to focus on Guild Wars 2 for the most part, leaving Guild Wars 1 servers up and running during that time.

However, the game has itself entered something of an afterlife following almost two decades of inaction. ArenaNet released Guild Wars Reforged - an enhanced upgrade to the original MMO - late last year. It also received a new dungeon in April, which has enticed new and returning players to dive back in.

Afterlife's reveal comes as ArenaNet is juggling development on three live service games at once. You've got Guild Wars Reforged (with Afterlife) of course, the more traditional MMORPG Guild Wars 2, and the highly-anticipated action-oriented Guild Wars 3. All will receive updates and support simultaneously, a sign of confidence in the health of the MMO space.

PC