Everything we know about Guild Wars 3

ArenaNet announced Guild Wars 3 during Summer Game Fest on 5 June 2026. It is the studio's first brand-new game since the original Guild Wars 2 launched in 2012, and the team has framed it as a "modern evolution of the MMORPG" rather than a straight sequel.

Guild Wars 3 is a prequel. It takes place in the region of Orr more than a thousand years before the events of the first Guild Wars, long before the cataclysm that fans of the series associate with that land. Rather than the ruined, drowned Orr of later games, this is a living frontier.

ArenaNet describes Orr here as a vast wilderness rich with the world's raw magic, home to nature spirits - referred to as Vael spirits - that are deeply tied to the land itself.

Players take on the role of a Vaelwarden, a member of an order of adventurers sworn to safeguard both the wild spirits of Orr and the land they inhabit. The Vaelwardens are positioned as the central faction of the game and the lens through which you experience its world.

ArenaNet has stressed that the franchise's hallmarks - deep character customisation and build-crafting through skills - remain at the core of how a Vaelwarden grows.

Every player is paired with a Seeker, a spirit-bonded companion that doubles as a mount. Beyond carrying you across the open world, the Seeker is described as your personal connection to Orr's wild spirits, tying traversal and the game's spiritual themes together.

Combat is built around momentum. ArenaNet has shown a traversal system that flows between gliding, running, sliding, riding, and jumping, carrying your speed from one mode into the next. That speed and momentum can be converted into damage, making positioning and movement part of the fight.

The studio says it is blending action-RPG combat with the build-making the series is known for, and that the whole system is designed to feel equally at home on controller and on keyboard and mouse.

There is currently no information about any specific professions, classes, or playable races for Guild Wars 3.

Guild Wars 3 is confirmed for PC (including Steam) and PlayStation 5. The PlayStation 5 version is notable as the first time a Guild Wars game has been built for home consoles, and the combat being designed around controllers reflects that.

The first beta test is scheduled for fall 2027. A full release date has not been given, and ArenaNet has said it will share beta details, pricing, and timing across late 2026 and into 2027.

Guild Wars 3 is being built in Unreal Engine 5, with ArenaNet emphasising large-scale open-world exploration, dynamic combat, and a world that reacts to player choices.

Game director Colin Johanson framed the goal as creating an online world that feels believable, rewarding, responsive, and innovative while still respecting players' time.

ArenaNet has been explicit that Guild Wars 3 is not the end of Guild Wars 2. The studio stated it is committing to actively developing three games at once: Guild Wars Reforged, Guild Wars 2, and Guild Wars 3.