Guild Wars
Updated: 12/20/2025, 1:44:55 PM Wikipedia source
Guild Wars is an online role-playing game franchise developed by ArenaNet and published by NCSoft. The games were critically well received and won many editor's choice awards, as well as awards such as "Massively Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, as well as Best Value, Best Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), and Best Game. Guild Wars was noted for being the "first major MMO to adopt a business model not based on monthly subscription fees", its instanced approach to gameplay, and the quality of the graphics and play for computers with low specifications. In April 2009, NCSoft announced that 6 million units of games in the Guild Wars series had been sold. The sequel and fourth major entry into the series, Guild Wars 2, was announced in March 2007 and released on August 28, 2012. It features updated graphics and gameplay mechanics, and continues the original Guild Wars tradition of no subscription fees. The Guild Wars series had sold 11.5 million copies by August 2015
Infobox
Genres
ORPG, MMORPG
Developer
ArenaNet
Publishers
mw- WW: ArenaNetWW: NCSoftBR: Level Up! GamesCN: Tencent GamesCN: Kongzhong (formerly)
Platform
Microsoft Windows
First release
Guild Wars PropheciesApril 28, 2005
Latest release
Guild Wars 2: Visions of EternityOctober 28, 2025
Tables
· Publications
2009
Guild Wars: Ghosts of Ascalon
Role(s)
Novel by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb, cover art by Richard Anderson
2010
Guild Wars: Edge of Destiny
Role(s)
Novel by J. Robert King
2013
Role(s)
Free browser game
Guild Wars: Sea of Sorrows
Role(s)
Novel by Ree Soesbee
2025
Role(s)
Expansion pack
Role(s)
Re-release of the original 2005 game
| Year | Title | Note |
| 2005 | Guild Wars Prophecies | Standalone game |
| 2006 | Guild Wars Factions | Standalone game |
| 2006 | Guild Wars Nightfall | Standalone game |
| 2007 | Guild Wars: Eye of the North | Expansion pack |
| 2009 | Guild Wars: Ghosts of Ascalon | Novel by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb, cover art by Richard Anderson |
| 2010 | Guild Wars: Edge of Destiny | Novel by J. Robert King |
| 2012 | Guild Wars 2 | Standalone game |
| 2013 | Rytlock's Critter Rampage | Free browser game |
| 2013 | Guild Wars: Sea of Sorrows | Novel by Ree Soesbee |
| 2015 | Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns | Expansion pack |
| 2017 | Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire | Expansion pack |
| 2022 | Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons | Expansion pack |
| 2023 | Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure | Expansion pack |
| 2024 | Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds | Expansion pack |
| 2025 | Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity | Expansion pack |
| 2025 | Guild Wars Reforged | Re-release of the original 2005 game |
References
- Metacritichttps://web.archive.org/web/20100405232127/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/guildwars
- Metacritichttps://web.archive.org/web/20100504150216/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/guildwarsfactions
- Metacritichttps://web.archive.org/web/20100503135724/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/guildwarsnightfall
- "Game Rankings — Search — Guild Wars"https://web.archive.org/web/20071026085144/http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/itemsearch.asp?itemname=Guild%20Wars
- "9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Winners Announced by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences"https://www.interactive.org/images/press_release/AIAS-PressRelease-021006.pdf
- "Press: Awards"http://www.guildwars.com/events/press/awards/
- Wiredhttps://www.wired.com/2008/02/guild-wars-brea/
- "Guild Wars"http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=59083
- "Guild Wars"http://au.pc.gamespy.com/pc/guild-wars/613203p4.html
- "Guildwars.com Press Release, Guild Wars Surpasses Six Million Units Sold"http://www.guildwars.com/events/press/releases/pressrelease-2009-04-24.php
- "The best things in life are free"http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=75018
- https://www.engadget.com/2010/08/31/guild-wars-surpasses-6-5-million-sales-sequel-will-be-released/ GW1: 6.5Mhttps://www.engadget.com/2010/08/31/guild-wars-surpasses-6-5-million-sales-sequel-will-be-released/
- [1] GW2: 5Mhttps://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-08-27-arenanet-explains-guild-wars-2-going-free-and-the-addition-of-raids
- "Guild Wars"http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=119730
- "Guild Wars World Championship rules"http://guildwars.com/competitive/gwwc/worldchampionship-rules.php
- "Guild Wars Factions Championship rules"http://guildwars.com/competitive/gwfc/gwfc06-rules.php
- "Guild Wars Interview"https://web.archive.org/web/20030503062840/http://pc.ign.com/articles/400/400429p1.html
- Guild Wars Nightfall Manuscripts
- "Automated Tournaments FAQ"https://web.archive.org/web/20071030063339/http://eu.guildwars.com/pvp/article/at_faq/
- "Observer Mode"https://web.archive.org/web/20071101055521/http://eu.guildwars.com/pvp/article/observer_mode/
- The Guild Wars Factions Manuscripts
- "Guild guest - Guild Wars Wiki (GWW)"http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Guest
- eu.guildwars.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20081226103402/http://eu.guildwars.com/support/article/factions_faq/
- Computer and Video Gameshttp://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=148222
- "Fresh Guild Wars announced"https://web.archive.org/web/20070307073316/http://the-inquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37986
- PC Gamer
- Guild Warshttp://www.guildwars.com/products/extras/missionpack/default.php
- Guild Wars Development and Automation Archived 2013-06-14 at the Wayback Machine, GuildWars.comhttp://eu.guildwars.com/news/article/guild_wars_development_and_automation/
- NCsoft and ArenaNet Celebrate Guild Wars 5th Anniversary with Guild Wars Beyond and the War in Kryta Archived 2013-01-28http://us.ncsoft.com/en/news/press-releases/ncsoft-and-arenanet-celebrate-guild-wars-5th-anniversary-with-guild-wars-beyond-and-the-war-in-kryta.php
- Costume design and hints of what's to come: Massively's interview with the Guild Wars team Archived 2013-11-10 at the Wahttp://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/costume-design-and-hints-of-whats-to-come-massivelys-intervie/
- Passing the Torch: Designer John Stumme joins the Live Team Archived 2012-08-08 at the Wayback Machine, ArenaNet Bloghttp://www.arena.net/blog/passing-the-torch-designer-john-stumme-joins-live-team
- Relics of Orr Minisode 10.5, Lead Designer of “Guild Wars Awesome”, Relics of Orrhttp://www.relicsoforr.com/?p=459
- Guild Wars Live Team Interview, Kill Ten Ratshttp://www.killtenrats.com/2010/09/20/guild-wars-live-team-interview/
- "Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons | Coming February 2022"https://www.guildwars2.com/en/end-of-dragons/
- "ArenaNet Studio Update: July 2021"https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/arenanet-studio-update-july-2021/