In 2014, Guild Wars 2 launched with its own servers and some adjustments in China. However, it could not gain a foothold there. This is supposed to change in 2020, also due to the collaboration with the huge corporation Tencent. But many Western players are not thrilled about it.
What happened? WeGame, a large gaming platform of the company Tencent in China, has announced that the MMORPG Guild Wars 2 will now be distributed there. From May 15 to 21, stress tests will take place (via Kongzhong).
WeGame has over 300 million registered and about 80 million monthly active game accounts (via Altchar). This puts the platform roughly on par with Steam, which had 90 million active users worldwide during the Corona crisis.
How is GW2 doing in China? So far, Guild Wars 2 has not been doing well in China. The MMORPG is currently distributed in its own client by Kongzhong, a company that also deals with games like World of Tanks.
According to various statements on reddit, there is little going on on the servers, and especially no one is interested in PvP. Due to the monetization system, where you can buy endgame gear and legendary weapons immediately and very cheaply, there is a lack of motivation and long-term goals (via reddit).
The new deal with Tencent could benefit the American developer ArenaNet, which would be good for the entire MMORPG. But instead of being happy about it, many Western players view it critically. The reason for this is the upcoming third expansion, which is supposed to take place on the continent of Cantha.
Players fear for the Asian setting in GW2
Where do players see a problem? Games that are released in China are often adjusted for local conditions. For example, PUBG received an adjusted version, which had less violence and paid tribute to the Chinese Air Force.
There were also adjustments for Guild Wars 2 at the release in China in 2014, but these mainly referred to visual adjustments for creatures and especially bones.
Moreover, stories have been circulating for years about a damaged district at the launch in the capital Divinity’s Reach, which was supposedly only destroyed because it was previously Asian in structure and that this content should be removed. In the meantime, the Crown Pavilion is located there.
Now, however, the third expansion is supposed to come and lead to Cantha, a continent that is heavily Asian influenced and also ruled by an iron emperor lineage. And whether this will be well received in China is currently doubted by some:
- A reddit user writes DancingUltraJew: “The Chinese will freak out if the Cantha expansion looks even remotely Chinese and is not portrayed as universally superior. Entire game expansions were produced just to please China.”
- Also, Tulki shares his concerns on reddit: “Cantha’s story is so incredibly relevant to current events that I can’t imagine it being released there without some sort of attention being drawn. It was the site of a plague and had an ethnic cleansing against non-humans at the end of GW1 […]. I expect the story to distance itself from these things or pretend they didn’t happen, for fear of being cut.”
- The user rodrigorichter hopes that there are no adjustments: “I only agree if they don’t make changes to the game that satisfy Chinese censorship”
Is the expansion only coming because of China? Some users on reddit speculate, however, that the deal with Tencent might be a reason why a new expansion is even being developed. A user writes znoodie:
- “This [the deal] is probably the reason we even have an upcoming expansion. Where else would they have all that extra money from?”
However, how exactly ArenaNet benefits from the deal is not known.
Guild Wars 2 becomes really active in 2020 – Is the new CEO the reason?
What is happening in 2020 with Guild Wars 2? After the catastrophic year 2019 with mass layoffs and little content, Guild Wars 2 has been looking fresher and more active since November:
- There are suddenly roadmaps with information about upcoming updates and plans from the developers.
- A third expansion has been announced.
- Three major content patches have already been released, and update 4 is scheduled for the end of May.
- There has been no major PR scandal and no discussions about questionable advertising partners, as has been the case in the past.
- A surprising update for the anniversary of Guild Wars 1 was released.
Also, the current deal with Tencent fits into the list of fundamentally positive news about Guild Wars 2.
A reason for this could be the change in the leadership position. In October 2019, President Mike O’Brien left ArenaNet, to start a new company with innovative ideas. In November, surprisingly Mike Zadorojny, the Game Director, also left.
The new head is now said to be named John Taylor, but he has not yet made a big appearance. However, it looks like he has at least a rough plan for Guild Wars 2.
