After 10 years, MMORPG classic Guild Wars 2 is now on Steam
Tyria’s back, baby
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
MMORPG Guild Wars 2 is finally launching onSteam, a decade after the classic fantasy title was originally released.
While we reckon the free-to-play RPG is one of thebest MMO gamescurrently around, it’s only been available to download through publisher NCSoft’s own platform up to this point. It will be available on Steam from August 23, with players on both Steam and the game’s original client able to play together on the same servers.
The game will launch on Valve’s storefront alongside a paid DLC bundle containing the first 10 years of Guild Wars 2 content, including the game’s five seasons and three main expansions – Heart of Thorns, Path of Fire, and End of Dragons.
Watch the announcement trailer below.
Platform wars
Guild Wars 2 turned heads at launch for its strong emphasis on player-versus-player combat, which spanned small-scale arena fights to world-based competitive modes. The game’s seen many changes since its original release, though, with each season expanding its ongoing story and developing world.
UnlikeWorld of Warcraftand its other MMORPG stablemates, Guild Wars 2 stood out for its subscription-free payment system. You only needed to purchase the base game once to access its full content, with more DLC and expansions available at cost. ArenaNet transitioned Guild Wars 2 to a free-to-play model in 2015
“By launching on Steam, a whole new audience of players who have never had the chance to adventure with us will be able to experience one of the greatest fantasy worlds in gaming,” said Kendall Boyd, senior vice president of marketing at NCSOFT, in a press release. “Everyone at NCSOFT and ArenaNet is excited to welcome them into our amazing community.”
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
To coincide with the game’s release on Steam, ArenaNet will be running a Twitch drop program to promote the game. From August 23 to August 28, you can net yourself free in-game rewards and cosmetics by watching streamers play the Guild Wars 2 on the livestreaming platform.Blizzardran a similar scheme forOverwatch 2earlier this year, which spurred the hero shooter tobecome the most-viewed category on Twitchbriefly.
TheGuild Wars 2 steam pageis now live, and we suspect it will feature a recent change that’sstirred the excitement of many PC gamers.
Callum is TechRadar Gaming’s News Writer. You’ll find him whipping up stories about all the latest happenings in the gaming world, as well as penning the odd feature and review. Before coming to TechRadar, he wrote freelance for various sites, including Clash, The Telegraph, and Gamesindustry.biz, and worked as a Staff Writer at Wargamer. Strategy games and RPGs are his bread and butter, but he’ll eat anything that spins a captivating narrative. He also loves tabletop games, and will happily chew your ear off about TTRPGs and board games.
NYT Connections today — hints and answers for Sunday, November 10 (game #518)
Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair review: premium, highly customizable comfort
Phishing attacks surge in 2024 as cybercriminals adopt AI tools and multi-channel tactics
