At the Summer Game Fest 2026, a new era of Tyria was finally ushered in with Guild Wars 3. But really finally? MyMMO editor Alex has mixed feelings about it, even though he has been waiting for it for years.
With a pounding heart, I watch the stream of the Summer Game Fest and know: Now is the time, the moment we have already sensed has come. And before I can truly – I mean really – realize what I am seeing, “Guild Wars 3” is displayed in large letters on the screen.
Goosebumps spread across my skin as the narrator atmospherically prepares us for the magical setting of Orr. A new era for Tyria is finally becoming reality. After nearly 14 long years, our beloved Guild Wars is getting a new coat of paint.
Tears in my eyes. Excitement. Hype.
As quickly as the trailer appeared, other announcements followed suit. There’s not much information yet, and even though I sat grinning like a Cheshire cat in front of the screen for quite a while, another feeling soon set in: nostalgia and a pinch of worry.
Here you can check out the trailer for yourself:
14 years of memories and adventures, and now a farewell?
I started with Guild Wars 2 when it was still relatively fresh. That must have been in the autumn of 2012. At that time, I had just graduated from high school and had a lot of time. Time that I invested with enthusiasm and passion into the MMORPG with its unique art style. Made friends, experienced adventures, achieved victories. My Sylvari commander has become very dear to me over the years and Tyria has become a second home.
Since then, much has changed, improved, modernized. One of the best mount systems ever in an MMORPG came into play and became another flagship alongside the art style. To this day, Guild Wars 2 stands out from its genre colleagues: be it through the pay-to-play model, the option to only play the content you enjoy and not having to buy all expansions, or the concept of the living world.
Guild Wars 2 has boldly forged new paths in many ways in the vast world of MMORPGs and has struck a chord with many players. However, the longer I wandered through Tyria, the more tired I became over the years, and the time came when I longed for a Guild Wars 3. More modern, thinking further with today’s possibilities. But now, as that wish becomes reality, I don’t know if I’m ready to let go.
Everything new makes Guild Wars 3?
Aside from the fact that it’s hard to let go of things that have accompanied you for so long and to which so many beautiful memories are attached, there are some things that slightly dampen my initial hype in retrospect. On one hand, Orr is an incredibly good setting to start anew, but it also means that we likely won’t be able to play Sylvari and Charr.
Because at the time the story is set, those races did not exist yet. While there will surely be others, like the bear-like Kodan, who we saw in the trailer and who we learned to love at the latest through the expansion Janthir Wilds. But as a passionate Sylvari main, this realization certainly hurts, and considering how popular the plant race is, I’m sure I’m not alone in suffering there.
The fear that Guild Wars 2 may slowly die with the release of its successor is also gradually creeping in. Am I really ready to give up the Tyria I know and love? Maybe I don’t have to.
The developers have already proven when transitioning from Guild Wars 1 to 2 that they can design their titles so differently that they can coexist. I am cautiously optimistic that they will achieve that with Guild Wars 2 and 3 as well, even though a little residual worry remains.
After the short announcement trailer, not much is known yet about the new features GW3 will have in store for us, but there are some points that clearly set the successor apart, and I personally am very excited about:
- The movement system, for example, feels even freer with climbing. This opens up even more possibilities for designing areas vertically.
- Even though the console release on PS5 can certainly be debated, I am looking forward to controller support. Due to the heavy focus on action-heavy combat, I have very much missed it and am curious if GW3 will become more immersive with that and how it will impact the combat system.
Especially the latter could likely become a huge game changer. MMORPGs like Final Fantasy XIV, The Elder Scrolls Online, or Throne and Liberty already demonstrated that complex MMOs can be played well with a controller without losing too much depth.
Depending on what new features and changes GW3 has in store for us, I am very sure that both titles will have their player base and that GW2, similar to GW1 before it, will not really die, even though support will inevitably be ramped down at some point. After all, it is also somewhat up to us whether we want to let GW2 die, right?
How do you feel after the announcement? Are you hyped and ready to leave GW2 behind, or are you more like me and want to take the best of both worlds with you? Feel free to let us know in the comments! A beta version is already set to come in autumn 2026, even if we probably can’t all participate: Summer Game Fest reveals Guild Wars 3 – Release on PC, PS5, Beta in Autumn 2027
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