Guild Wars 2, the popular MMORPG developed by ArenaNet, has been slated for a Steam release for quite some time and many people have been awaiting news on when it would actually hit the popular launcher. The silence regarding this is over and Guild Wars 2 will be officially launching on Steam on August 23, 2022. This date is also when the next major balance patch for the game is set to release too. Detailed via their own blog post, it is clear that ArenaNet wanted to make sure to iron out a few of the game’s kinks before getting a wave of new players from the Steam release.
We want to make the most of the Steam launch, so over the past few months we’ve been working on improvements to the new player experience. – ArenaNet via Blog Post
Changes that the development studio has made include:
- Improved level pacing
- Updated default keybinds to make more sense
- Added achievements to guide new players up to level 80
- Trial raptor mount once players hit level 10
- Streamlined dungeon currencies
Watch the trailer below
or click here
August 28 marks the 10-year anniversary of Guild Wars 2, so it comes as no surprise that ArenaNet wants to celebrate with its loyal community. While not exclusive to a timed event, ArenaNet will be adding some achievements that, upon completion, will reward players with a unique armour set. Additionally, there will be a week-long buff of +30% to Karma, Magic Find, and PvP/World vs. World reward-tracks starting August 23. On the monetisation side of the game, there will also be discounts on the gem store.
Twitch drops are also coming to the game. Starting from 12pm UTC-7 August 23 (2am August 24 AEST) and ending at 11:59pm UTC-7 August 28 (1:59pm August 29 AEST), watch any Guild Wars 2 livestream with Twitch Drops enabled to earn a variety of rewards, including boosters, a glowing purple mask, and your choice of a classic Guild Wars 2 outfit.
Guild Wars 2 is free-to-play to an extent, with the core/base game being free and its subsequent expansions being paid. You will be able to purchase each individual expansion, but ArenaNet will be offering a Complete Collection bundle which includes every major expansion as well as each season of Living World from Seasons 2-5 (Season 1 is free for everyone). This change has been made to better communicate the importance of the Living World seasons, as previously it was entirely possible to miss them. The Complete Collection will not be available outside of Steam at this time, and people who already have the game and its expansions will not be able to link or migrate their accounts to the Steam version.
Will you be trying Guild Wars 2 now that it is hitting Steam? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
Jordan lives and breathes Dark Souls, even though his favourite game is Bloodborne. He takes pride in bashing his face on walls and praising the sun. Hailing from the land of tacos, he is the token minority for WellPlayed.
