In-depth matchup breakdowns, meta shifts, guild spotlights, and tactical analysis — all in one place.
Studio Head Colin Johanson commits ArenaNet to actively developing Guild Wars 2, Guild Wars Reforged, and Guild Wars 3 simultaneously - including Hall of Monuments 2.0, a Year of Polish, a new WvW Borderlands map, and a free Orr open-world zone.
ArenaNet revealed Guild Wars 3 at Summer Game Fest. Ancient Orr setting, movement-first combat, and a PlayStation 5 debut — beta signups are open now.
The Only Way dropped May 12 with a new zone, five story chapters, two Legendary accessories, and a WvW Legendary that finally gives the mode a meaningful crafting goal.
The New Hero Jump Start event runs through April 7. Returning players get boosted XP, Magic Find, and Reward Track progress. Here's why right now is the moment to make the call.
The Fashion Templates launch in February was rough. Dye glitches, accidental overwrites, a community in revolt. Then ArenaNet did something surprising: they listened.
ArenaNet unified Raids and Strike Missions on February 3 and added a Quickplay matchmaking queue. Here's what changed, what the community got right, and where the system still needs work.
The January 2026 balance patch didn't fix WvW's boon-ball problem. But the community finally has a clear diagnosis -- and that's the first real step toward a cure.
Land spears launched with Janthir Wilds in August 2024. A year later, nine professions, real build diversity, and a few surprises the community didn't see coming.
Guild Wars 2 turns 13 this month. After a year of Janthir Wilds, a decade-plus of the same core promise is the reason the game keeps pulling people back.
August 20 marks a year since Janthir Wilds launched and changed what players expected from Guild Wars 2. Here is what the expansion actually achieved and what it set in motion.
June 2024's Janthir Wilds reveal gave us housing, spears, and the return of raids. One year later, the promises have delivered -- and the industry noticed.
When NCSoft announced layoffs and restructuring in October 2024, the community held its breath. Seven months later, it's time to look at what the data actually shows.
SotO took every bad launch condition and still gave the game weapon unlocks, Obsidian armor, and the framework Janthir Wilds built on. It's time for a fair accounting.
World Restructuring took the server names away. It couldn't take the community. Eight months in, here is how WvW players rebuilt the thing they thought they'd lost.
From a polarizing quarterly cadence to the best expansion launch in years, 2024 put Guild Wars 2 back in a position nobody expected. Here is what actually happened.
The Godspawn update dropped November 19 and brought a new 10-person raid with it. Mount Balrior is the first new raid content in years. The endgame community has a lot to say.
It has been a month since Janthir Wilds launched and the Homestead community has not slowed down. A look at what players built, what the system still needs, and why player housing was the right call.
Janthir Wilds launched August 20. The 12th Anniversary ran August 26 to September 3. The community meetup happened August 30. This was the most alive Guild Wars 2 has felt in years.
The Janthir Wilds spear beta ran June 27 to June 30. We played all nine professions, logged the community feedback, and have opinions on which classes got the best deal.
On June 14, World vs. World World Restructuring went always-on. Server identity is gone. What replaced it is messier than the old system but built for a game this community actually plays now.
On June 4, ArenaNet revealed Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds. Player housing, land spears for every profession, and a Warclaw overhaul. The community has not reacted this loudly to a GW2 reveal in years.
With Janthir Wilds speculation heating up and no elite specializations in sight, it is worth asking what the game actually gets when it stops building around locked class archetypes.
Secrets of the Obscure's second major update landed February 27. After months of waiting to see if ArenaNet's new release model could hold up, the Realm of Dreams gave us a real answer.
2023 was the most structurally significant year for Guild Wars 2 since the free-to-play transition. Here is what it meant, what it cost, and why the game enters 2024 in a stronger position than it has been in years.
Rift hunting is SotO's primary endgame activity and it divides the community. Here is an honest breakdown of both sides, and how to decide if it is worth your time.
The old daily achievement system rewarded logging in. The Wizard's Vault rewards actually playing. Here is how it works and how to get the most out of it.
Veteran players are frustrated that SotO made the Skyscale easier to get. Here is why the change makes sense for the game, and what ArenaNet got right about how they handled it.
GW2's fourth expansion launched today. The new model, new maps, new weapons, new daily system. Here is what we think after the first day in Skywatch.
Secrets of the Obscure gives every profession a new weapon and lets elite spec weapons run outside their spec. This is the biggest build shakeup GW2 has seen since elite specs launched.
The latest EoD map has real flaws. Instead of just listing complaints, let's use Gyala Delve to talk about what actually makes a GW2 map worth staying in.
ArenaNet posted a Studio Update on February 13 that quietly ends the Living World format as we know it. Here is what the new model means for you.
WvW World Restructuring has been in development for years and it's finally reshaping how we play. Here's what the Alliance system actually does, what it gets right, and the real questions the community is wrestling with.
Guild Wars 2 turns ten years old today and launches on Steam simultaneously. Two milestones that say something real about what this game has built over a decade.
The June 28 patch landed hard. The community responded louder. And ArenaNet just did something it rarely does: listened, and changed how balance works going forward. Here's why preview patches are a bigger deal than they sound.
Three months post-launch, the End of Dragons elite specialization meta has had time to breathe. Where every spec landed, what is thriving, and what the community has figured out.
After nearly eight years as vaulted content that newer players could never access, Living World Season 1 is returning as a permanent, free addition to Guild Wars 2.
ArenaNet's March 2022 Studio Update confirmed a fourth expansion is in development, revealed the player base has more than doubled, and laid out plans for Living World Season 1 and the Steam launch.
Dragon's End is GW2's most demanding open-world meta since Tequatl's original form. Here is what the community has figured out in two weeks and how you can actually clear it.
Guild Wars 2's third expansion launches today and Cantha is stunning. Maps, elite specs, the Siege Turtle, skiffs, fishing, and what EoD gets right out of the gate.
2021 was the year Guild Wars 2 ended one chapter and set up the next. The saga closed with rough edges, but the view from December looks better than January ever promised.
World Restructuring has been promised for years. The ticket grind is real. Population imbalance is real. WvW still pulls players in every night, and that tells you everything about what it is capable of.
The 9th anniversary did not land the way veterans hoped. The 'Committed' title incident is worth talking about, because understanding the stumble matters for what comes next.
ArenaNet's elite spec beta events start this month. This is not just marketing access, it is a genuine feedback loop. What we know about Beta 1 and why this process matters for GW2's future.
The End of Dragons First Look stream just ended. Siege Turtle, fishing, Skiffs, Jade Bots, and a Cantha that has been waiting 15 years for us to come home.
ArenaNet's free Living World giveaway is not just generous, it is one of the smartest community moves the studio has made in years. Here is why it matters.
Judgment released today and the Elder Dragon cycle has ended. The finale has rough edges, but the Icebrood Saga as a whole earned more than it lost.
The DRMs are not what the community hoped for, but they are not a dead end either. What the format is getting right, what it is getting wrong, and what it could become.
2020 threw everything at Guild Wars 2 — a pandemic, layoffs, a saga that stumbled in places, and one of the biggest announcements in the game's history. Here's how the year actually played out.
ArenaNet confirmed a second round of layoffs in October 2020, affecting roughly 10 developers on unannounced projects. GW2 development is reportedly unaffected. Here's an honest look at what this means.
ArenaNet just confirmed GW2's third expansion at the 8th Anniversary stream — and it's set in Cantha. Here's everything we know, what the teaser is hiding, and why this is the most important GW2 news in three years.
It's been over a year since GW2's last raid wing. Strike Missions are here to replace them — or so the argument goes. Let's talk about what we actually gained, what we lost, and whether ArenaNet got this call right.
No Quarter just launched Drizzlewood Coast and it's doing something other Living World maps rarely manage: it feels like an expansion map. Here's why it works.
The world is pausing. Guild Wars 2's no-sub model, horizontal progression, and welcoming open-world design make it one of the best places to ride out the lockdowns — whether you're new or returning.
Steel and Fire gives us four replayable LWS1 missions and the Eye of the North as a player hub. It's not everything we asked for — but it's a start that matters.
Shadow in the Ice just dropped and the Icebrood Saga is on a roll. Here's why this feels like a genuine turning point for Guild Wars 2 storytelling.
2019 was the hardest year Guild Wars 2 has had since launch. It was also the year the game proved exactly what it's made of.
Build Templates finally launched after years of requests. The official system has real advantages over ArcDPS — and real problems that ArenaNet needs to hear about clearly.
ArenaNet co-founder Mike O'Brien announced his departure last week. Before we talk about what comes next, let's talk about what he actually made.
ArenaNet's PAX West reveal landed differently than most people expected. Here's an honest breakdown of what was announced, what it means, and why the community's reaction was messier than it needed to be.
The Skyscale's unlock collection is the longest in GW2 history. Here's every stage, every currency requirement, and how to survive the time gates with your sanity intact.
Season 4 ends with its most cinematic episode yet. War Eternal delivers on the promises this season made from day one — and then some. Spoilers ahead.
The Warclaw launched today and WvW will never be the same. Whether that's good news depends entirely on how you play the game mode.
ArenaNet just cut roughly 143 jobs. Here's what actually happened, why, and what it means for the players still logging in every night.
NCSoft is shutting down WildStar and closing Carbine Studios. It's not our game - but it should mean something to everyone who's ever loved one.
Wing 6 has been out ten days and the raiding community is still talking about Qadim. Our full breakdown of the Mythwright Gambit - encounters, rewards, and why this might be GW2's best raid wing.
Episode 4 of Season 4 is live, and the community is still in shock. Spoiler-heavy review of the most emotionally ambitious episode GW2 has ever told.
ArenaNet fired two writers this week after a Twitter exchange with a community partner. Here's an honest look at what happened, why the community is split, and what it means going forward.
Episode 3 dropped yesterday and nobody's talking about the story. They're all trying to drift around that corner in the Domain of Kourna. Rightfully so.
ArenaNet's ban wave exposed a silent anti-cheat tool that scanned every process running on your computer. Here's the full timeline, what they collected, and how players are fighting back.
Episode 2 'A Bug in the System' dropped yesterday and the Sandswept Isles is already proving that Season 4 has legs. Here's what you need to know.
From Balthazar's reveal in February to Daybreak's launch in November, 2017 was the most consequential year in GW2's history since launch day. Here's how we got here - and what it means for what comes next.
The raid gatekeeping conversation runs hot every year. Instead of relitigating it, we're giving you the practical guide to getting into GW2's best endgame content - Kill Proof, training guilds, and all.
Path of Fire launched September 22 and after a week in the Crystal Desert, one thing is clear - ArenaNet built something that changes the entire genre's conversation about movement. Here's our full review.
Guild Wars 2's second expansion was announced August 1 and it's everything the community dared hope for - and one thing nobody predicted. Mounts are in. Elona is back. Balthazar isn't done.
Living World Season 3 closes July 25 with 'One Path Ends' and Siren's Landing - and after six episodes, ArenaNet has delivered the most emotionally complete narrative arc in the game's history.
The June competitive update hit World vs. World on June 6 with Skirmish reward tracks, the Warbringer legendary backpack, Mistforged armor, and the first real structural progression WvW has ever had. We break it all down.
Every few months someone posts 'Is GW2 dying?' and the debate starts again. The answer lives in a design decision ArenaNet made in 2012 that most MMOs still haven't caught up to.
Living World Season 3 Episode 4 dropped February 7 and ended with a reveal that recontextualizes everything Season 3 has been building. A god walked into the story. Nothing is the same.
2016 was the hardest year Guild Wars 2 has put its community through since launch. It was also the year the game found the direction it needed. Here's how we got from January to December.
Living World Season 3 Episode 3 lands November 21 with Bitterfrost Frontier, a baby Elder Dragon who'll steal your heart, and a character arc for Braham that's more complicated - and more honest - than any GW2 story beat before it.
Denial Esports defended their title at the GW2 World Championship 2016, taking home $200,000 and becoming the first team to win consecutive GW2 LAN titles. Here's the full recap plus our honest take on the competitive scene's future.
Living World Season 3 Episode 1 'Out of the Shadows' launched July 26. Bloodstone Fen is stunning, the story hits hard from the first cutscene, and the content drought that's defined 2016 is finally, actually over.
The Spring 2016 quarterly update landed April 19 with WvW Reward Tracks, a free Level-80 Boost for HoT owners, Desert Borderlands improvements, and squad tools. Here's what changed and why it matters.
Studio Head Colin Johanson has left ArenaNet after 11 years. Here's what he built, why it mattered, and what his departure means for the game going forward.
The Winter 2016 update brought gliding to every original open-world map, a reworked Shatterer, and a squad UI overhaul. Here's why this update matters more than it looks.
Content drought. Pricing controversy. Free-to-play. Expansion launch. Raids. Guild Wars 2 had the most turbulent year of its existence in 2015. Here's how it went, and why we're better for it.
Spirit Vale launched November 17. The first GW2 raids are real, they're hard, and they've sparked a conversation about what kind of game Guild Wars 2 wants to be. That conversation is worth having.
Heart of Thorns launched October 23. We went in. Here's what the first 48 hours looked like - the extraordinary, the rough, and the parts that are going to take time to understand.
Beta Weekend 2 wrapped on September 6. The launch date is confirmed: October 23, 2015. Here's what the second beta told us - and what questions we're still carrying into launch.
The base game went free-to-play on August 29. Beta Weekend 1 is behind us. Two enormous things happened this month, and both of them deserve an honest look.
Beta Weekend 1 is a month out. Before we get there, here's the complete breakdown of every confirmed Heart of Thorns feature - what it is, what it does, and why it matters.
The pre-purchase pricing for Heart of Thorns lit up the community this week. Here's what happened, why veterans were right to push back, and what ArenaNet's response actually means.
Heart of Thorns is coming. Before it changes everything, let's take stock of what three years of Guild Wars 2 actually built - and why the quiet right now isn't the same as empty.
Point of No Return dropped yesterday and Season 2 is behind us. Here's what it gave us - and why the silence coming next isn't something to fear.
Lion's Arch fell. Scarlet died. The Wardrobe arrived. Season 2 fixed the Living World. We grade GW2's biggest year since launch - and look ahead to whatever the jungle is hiding.
Global Guilds, Collections, and WvW changes nobody screamed about - all dropped September 9. Here's why the patch that fixed everything got ignored by everyone.
Scarlet is dead. Lion's Arch is rubble. Something roared when the Breachmaker hit the ley lines. We dig into GW2 lore for what comes next in Season 2.
GW2's April 2014 Feature Pack overhauls cosmetics, servers, and traits all at once. The Wardrobe, Megaserver, and new Trait system are live now.
Scarlet's Breachmaker tore Lion's Arch apart. We lost waypoints and banks and banks of memories. A first-hand account of watching our home city burn.
The Tower of Nightmares fell last week. Kessex Hills still smolders. A look back at the Living World's first year and what Scarlet's plan means for 2014.
ArenaNet rewrote Tequatl into a 15-minute coordinated boss fight with batteries, turrets, and failure states. The zerg era in Sparkfly Fen is over.
GW2 players elect Kiel or Gnashblade in Cutthroat Politics. The winner decides the next Fractal: Thaumanova Reactor or Abaddon. Vote before August 5.
ArenaNet's first Living World dungeon proves temporary content can be better than permanent - and raises hard questions about whether great design should have an expiration date.
GW2's Super Adventure Box was an 8-bit platformer hidden inside an MMO for April Fools. Chiptune music, secret shops, and pixel weapon skins made it legendary.
Guild Wars 2's first Halloween event - Shadow of the Mad King - has wrapped. Act 4 delivered Mad King Says in Lion's Arch. Here is what worked, what broke, and what it means for Wintersday.
Four weeks after launch, WvW is buckling under free transfers, population bandwagoning, and an Arrow Cart meta that is choking the fun out of Tier 1.
ArenaNet ran their third stress test on August 2, and WvW felt the full force of it. Four-hour window, two-hour queues, a controversial engine change, and an emerging racial visibility debate.
BWE3 is a week behind us and the competitive community has not stopped theorycrafting. Automated tournaments, the Conquest meta, and whether downed state belongs in esports, we break it all down.
Guild Wars 2's final beta weekend brought the Hunger Royale, new races, and wild bugs. Our BWE3 postmortem covers everything before the August 28 launch.
ArenaNet just confirmed the date. August 28. Here is what we know, what we are wondering, and what it means for the MMO landscape this fall.
WvW in BWE2 was broken, laggy, unfair, and the best thing we played all weekend. Here is what worked, what did not, and why we cannot stop thinking about it.
The second Guild Wars 2 Beta Weekend Event runs June 8-10. We scored a handful of extra keys. Want one? Enter here.