Everything We Know

27 Sept 2026

Every Guild Wars 3 detail we have gathered so far, from ArenaNet and the press. Each point has a status indicating how solid it is, with links to its sources.

Basics (21)

- Revealed at Summer Game Fest, 5 June 2026 - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, GW2 Wiki, RPG Site
- PC and PlayStation 5 - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, PC Gamer, Polygon, Icy Veins, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames, MMORPG.com, MetaForge, GW2 Wiki
- Xbox not presently planned - Confirmed
Sources: This Week in Videogames, GamesRadar+
- Crossplay - Confirmed
Sources: Inven Global, MetaForge
- Buy to play: no subscription, no battle pass, no pay to win - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, PC Gamer
- Open beta Fall 2027 (newsletter signup is the route in) - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, PC Gamer, Polygon, Wccftech, MetaForge, GW2 Wiki
- Physical Collector's Edition - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows
- GW2 and Reforged keep receiving updates alongside GW3 - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, Icy Veins, PC Gamer, Polygon, RPG Site, Inven Global, Wccftech, This Week in Videogames, GW2 Wiki
- No API - Mentioned
Sources: Doublezone
- Hall of Monuments returns: link your GW2 account to earn GW3 rewards - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, PC Gamer, GW2 Wiki
- GW2 pauses expansions for a quality of life period before GW3, then resumes releasing expansions annually - Confirmed
- From ArenaNet's "Future of Guild Wars" video
Sources: PC Gamer
- New GW2 open world map set in Orr, leading into GW3 - Confirmed
Sources: GW2 Wiki, PC Gamer
- Launches on Steam and ArenaNet's own launcher, as well as PS5 - Confirmed
Sources: GW2 Wiki
- Also launching in Asia through NCSoft's PURPLE platform, with Korean support - Confirmed
- NCSoft co-CEO Park Byung-moo, Q2 2026 earnings call, 11 Aug 2026. GW2 never launched in most of Asia
Sources: iNews24 (Korean), BigGo Finance
- NCSoft is lending ArenaNet 120.7bn won (about $85.5m) for GW3, due back 31 May 2028 - Confirmed
- Park: you can estimate the launch from when the loan expires. Industry reads that as second half of 2028. The launch date itself is not confirmed
Sources: iNews24 (Korean), BigGo Finance
- Release date guess: NCSoft's co CEO said you can estimate the launch from when ArenaNet's loan expires (31 May 2028) - Speculation
- Park Byung-moo, Q2 2026 earnings call: "You can estimate the launch timing by looking at when the loan maturity date for ArenaNet expires." The hint is confirmed; the date is a guess (around May 2028, BigGo says second half of 2028)
Sources: BigGo Finance, iNews24 (Korean)
- Built in Unreal Engine 5 - Confirmed
Sources: Polygon, This Week in Videogames
- ArenaNet has roughly 350 staff, its largest team is GW3, about 4 years in development - Mentioned
Sources: RPG Site, MMOBomb
- Kazuma Jinnouchi is the composer - Confirmed
- Eurogamer headline names him as lead composer and credits Star Wars, Metal Gear and Halo
Sources: guildwars3.com
- Designed around short sessions: make progress in 20 to 30 minutes, take long breaks without falling behind - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, Polygon, Wccftech, GamesRadar+, MMOBomb
- Not a sandbox game. There is an economy, with "unique approaches" yet to be disclosed - Mentioned
Sources: Wccftech

World (12)

- Set in Orr, 1,000+ years before GW1 - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, PC Gamer, Polygon, Icy Veins, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames
- You play a Vaelwarden with a Seeker spirit companion - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, Inven Global, PC Gamer, Icy Veins, GW2 Wiki
- Seamless open world - Confirmed
Sources: MightyTeapot, guildwars3.com, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, This Week in Videogames, MMORPG.com, MetaForge
- Orr maps larger than GW2 maps - Confirmed
- Snow Crows: "The scale of Orr has been completely reimagined; its maps will be significantly larger than their Guild Wars 2 counterparts"
Sources: Snow Crows, MightyTeapot
- Arah is the only major city - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows
- Open world camps to regroup, resupply and find other players - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, Eurogamer, Inven Global
- Environmental combat interactions - Confirmed
Sources: MMORPG.com, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Polygon, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames, MMOBomb, MetaForge
- Art direction shifting closer to GW2 - Confirmed
Sources: Jay Oddity, MightyTeapot
- Teleport animation may indicate waypoints or fast travel - Speculation
Sources: MightyTeapot
- Main enemy guild: the Mavenwrights, who now smuggle signets after losing their guild charter - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com, RPG Site
- Story begins at Warden's Watch, in the Tughra Basin - Confirmed
- Tughra Basin is the Vaelwardens' home region (official blog)
Sources: RPG Site, guildwars3.com
- Magic is scarce, so signets are limited and are traded on a black market - Confirmed
Sources: Inven Global, guildwars3.com

Species (8)

- Humans - Confirmed
Sources: ArenaNet species spotlight, PC Gamer, GW2 Wiki
- Asura - Confirmed
Sources: ArenaNet species spotlight, PC Gamer, GW2 Wiki
- Kodan (playable for the first time) - Confirmed
Sources: ArenaNet species spotlight, PC Gamer, GW2 Wiki
- 4th mystery species linked to Orr's lost past - Confirmed
- Not yet revealed
Sources: guildwars3.com, MetaForge, GW2 Wiki
- No combat advantage or disadvantage between species - Confirmed
Sources: guildwars3.com
- Non furry Asura available - Confirmed
Sources: Doublezone
- Likely no separate main story per species - Speculation
Sources: guildwars3.com
- More species can be added after launch. Forgotten are ruled out - Confirmed
- Four arms and a serpent body are too different to support
Sources: guildwars3.com

Classes (6)

- Warrior - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, RPG Site, Icy Veins, GamesRadar+, MMORPG.com, MMOBomb, MetaForge, MightyTeapot
- Ranger - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, Eurogamer, RPG Site, Icy Veins, MMOBomb, MetaForge, MightyTeapot
- Necromancer (ranged and melee scythe) - Confirmed
Sources: RPG Site, Eurogamer, Icy Veins, GamesRadar+, MMORPG.com, MMOBomb, MetaForge, MightyTeapot
- Mesmer - Mentioned
Sources: Darens MMO
- Holy trinity, but more flexible than other MMOs - Confirmed
- Colin: closer to GW1 than GW2
Sources: Snow Crows, Eurogamer, Icy Veins, Inven Global, Wccftech, MetaForge, MightyTeapot, Laranity
- Threat based tanking (aggro), not highest Toughness - Mentioned
Sources: Icy Veins, Inven Global, GamesRadar+

Abilities (9)

- Warrior: shield ability launches other players into the air - Confirmed
Sources: RPG Site, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Polygon, Icy Veins, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames, MMORPG.com, MMOBomb, GameSpace
- Warrior: bonus damage on aerial attacks - Confirmed
Sources: MMORPG.com, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Polygon, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames, MMOBomb, MetaForge
- Warrior: fire attacks for self and allies (burns off webs) - Confirmed
Sources: RPG Site, PC Gamer, Icy Veins, Inven Global, MMORPG.com
- Ranger: Polar Vortex adds ice damage to players who enter it - Confirmed
Sources: Polygon, RPG Site, MMOBomb
- Ranger: slow fall while shooting arrows - Confirmed
Sources: RPG Site, MMOBomb
- Ranger: capable of tanking - Confirmed
Sources: Jay Oddity, Wccftech
- Necromancer: minions can tank - Confirmed
Sources: Eurogamer, Icy Veins, Inven Global
- Necromancer elite: scythe attack that travels farther with greater momentum, with lifesteal - Confirmed
Sources: RPG Site
- Necromancer: movement skill called Necrotic Traversal - Mentioned
Sources: RPG Site

Weapons (6)

- Scythe - Confirmed
Sources: Eurogamer, RPG Site, Icy Veins
- Sword - Confirmed
Sources: RPG Site, Inven Global
- Shield - Confirmed
Sources: PC Gamer, Eurogamer, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames, MMOBomb
- Bow - Confirmed
Sources: RPG Site, MMOBomb
- Signets attach to weapons - Confirmed
- Unclear if per weapon type or per weapon
Sources: Jay Oddity, guildwars3.com
- Vaelwarden weapons hold multiple signets. Mavenwright weapons hold only one (so far) - Confirmed
- Both are official posts: multiple signets (asura spotlight), single signet (Mavenwrights). Exact number per weapon is not stated
Sources: guildwars3.com, guildwars3.com

Combat (25)

- Action combat - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, guildwars3.com, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Polygon, RPG Site, MMORPG.com
- Combat based on momentum and movement - Confirmed
Sources: PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Polygon, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames, MMORPG.com, MMOBomb, MetaForge, MightyTeapot
- Auto lock on, no precision aiming - Confirmed
Sources: Jay Oddity, MetaForge
- Ability combos between players - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Polygon, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, This Week in Videogames, MMORPG.com, MMOBomb, GameSpace
- Stamina limits movement like wall running and gliding - Confirmed
Sources: RPG Site, MMOBomb, GameSpace
- Conditions change as they stack - Confirmed
Sources: Polygon, RPG Site, Inven Global, This Week in Videogames, MMOBomb, MetaForge
- Frozen enemies can shatter - Confirmed
Sources: Polygon, Snow Crows, MMOBomb
- Fire can thaw frozen allies - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows
- Webs slow, stack, then stop you. Fire burns them off - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, MMOBomb, MetaForge
- Enemy weak points (hit the fuel tank and it explodes) - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, RPG Site, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, MMOBomb
- The larger an enemy, the harder it is to knock back or stun - Confirmed
Sources: PC Gamer, Eurogamer, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global
- Bosses are not immune to CC - Confirmed
Sources: Jay Oddity, Inven Global, MetaForge, MightyTeapot
- Bosses scale to how many players are fighting - Confirmed
Sources: Jay Oddity, MetaForge
- Enemies can also use Vael spirits - Confirmed
Sources: Eurogamer, PC Gamer, Inven Global
- Some skills come from exploration - Mentioned
Sources: Snow Crows
- Cannot swap skills in combat - Mentioned
Sources: Icy Veins
- Underwater combat - Mentioned
- Colin: "you'll hear more soon"
Sources: Snow Crows
- Some skills may work differently in and out of combat - Speculation
- Contextual skills: some attacks only unlock out of a dash or wall run, so movement affects what you can cast - Confirmed
- Inven: "many of the skills shown today become available only contextually". Ordon (GamesRadar+): attacks chained out of the dash and out of the wall-run
Sources: Inven Global, GamesRadar+, Eurogamer
- Elite skills return and charge up in combat (Warrior's Rampage) - Confirmed
Sources: Eurogamer, RPG Site, MMOBomb, Icy Veins, Snow Crows
- GW1 style build making: limited skill slots, select counter builds suited to the area and dungeons - Confirmed
Sources: Inven Global, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Icy Veins, GamesRadar+, MMOBomb
- Designed around controller use first: some skills only trigger in context (out of a dash or wall run) - Confirmed
Sources: GamesRadar+, Eurogamer, Inven Global
- Players get knocked into walls and off cliffs as well - Confirmed
Sources: Inven Global, Eurogamer, Icy Veins, MMOBomb
- Gliding can be used mid combat - Mentioned
- RPG Site: "It seemed like"
Sources: RPG Site
- Some enemies move across the terrain in their own ways - Mentioned
Sources: Polygon, GameSpace

Movement (5)

- Walk, run, jump, wall run, climb, slide, glide, mounts - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, guildwars3.com, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Polygon, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, Wccftech, GamesRadar+, MMOBomb, MetaForge, GameSpace, GW2 Wiki, Laranity
- Gliding can be steered left, right and down to gain speed - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, RPG Site
- Vael sprite summoned as an ally to illuminate dark areas - Confirmed
- Collecting them or masteries is speculation
Sources: RPG Site, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Inven Global
- Mount from the trailer is called a Root Runner - Mentioned
Sources: Eurogamer, RPG Site
- Your mount is your Seeker. Mounts are Vael spirits you befriend, both flying and ground - Confirmed
- Flying mounts only noted by PC Gamer
Sources: guildwars3.com, PC Gamer, GW2 Wiki

Scale (6)

- ~20 players in a large battle (design target, not a fixed cap) - Confirmed
- Colin: the server holds "way more than that"
Sources: MightyTeapot, PC Gamer, Polygon, RPG Site, Wccftech, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames, MMOBomb, MetaForge
- More than 20 players visible in cities - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows, PC Gamer, Polygon, Inven Global, GamesRadar+, This Week in Videogames, MetaForge
- Parties of 4 - Mentioned
- Subject to change
Sources: PC Gamer (video), Snow Crows
- Meaningful multiplayer gameplay - Mentioned
Sources: Laranity, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, MightyTeapot
- Megaserver style sharding, "much more complex" than GW2 - Mentioned
- Snow Crows calls it phasing. Colin didn't use that term
Sources: RPG Site, PC Gamer, Polygon, MMOBomb, MetaForge, GameSpace
- Map copies place you with friends and guildmates first - Confirmed
Sources: Polygon, GameSpace

Endgame (11)

- PvP game modes - Confirmed
Sources: Jay Oddity, RPG Site, MetaForge, MightyTeapot
- Jumping puzzles - Confirmed
Sources: Eurogamer
- Horizontal gear progression - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows
- World vs World - Confirmed NOT happening
Sources: Snow Crows, Inven Global, MetaForge, MightyTeapot
- Heroes and Henchmen - Confirmed NOT happening
Sources: Snow Crows
- Raids - Mentioned
Sources: Snow Crows, MetaForge
- Dungeon like experiences - Mentioned
Sources: RPG Site, Eurogamer, MightyTeapot
- Valuable RNG loot drops (Diablo style light pillar seen) - Mentioned
Sources: RPG Site
- Esports support if the community requests it - Mentioned
Sources: Snow Crows
- No GW2 style meta events - Speculation
- Wccftech: Colin says they're "very much planning" dynamic open-world events, with their own twists. So perhaps not GW2-style, but not no events either
Sources: Snow Crows
- 20v20 PvP mode - Speculation
Sources: Snow Crows

UI & misc (5)

- UI simplified, less visual clutter and VFX spam - Confirmed
Sources: Jay Oddity, Eurogamer, Polygon, RPG Site, Icy Veins, This Week in Videogames, MightyTeapot
- Conditions and effects displayed on enemies, not in the UI - Confirmed
- Other sources say "more visual", not absent from the UI
Sources: Jay Oddity, Polygon, RPG Site, Icy Veins, Inven Global, This Week in Videogames, MMOBomb
- Customisable UI - Mentioned
Sources: Snow Crows
- Fashion plays a larger role than in GW2 - Confirmed
Sources: Snow Crows
- Guilds confirmed - Confirmed
- No details so far
Sources: Snow Crows

Still unknown (8)

- Release date - Unknown
- Which species is the 4th - Unknown
- Any classes beyond Warrior, Ranger and Necromancer - Unknown
- Which PvP modes - Unknown
- Collector's Edition price and contents - Unknown
- How servers and sharding function in practice - Unknown
- Cross save - Unknown
- How guilds work - Unknown

“Guild Wars 3 is an epic world that is both beautiful and fun to explore, where the joy of movement is powered by your character’s momentum, and combat will usher in an entirely new type of MMO experience.”

Colin Johanson, Game Director and Studio Head, ArenaNet · via PCGamesN↗