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Guild Wars 3
Asura-bout that?
Guild Wars — the well-known franchise of massively-multiplayer online role-playing games — derives its title from three iconic conflicts within the game's lore, which serve as a cornerstone of its narrative. Yet, with two installments released over the course of 20 years, players have never experienced one of these battles firsthand. That trend appears set to continue with Guild Wars 3.
In a fresh video posted on the official Guild Wars YouTube channel, developer ArenaNet offered a glimpse into the setting of Guild Wars 3. We learned that the new title is set roughly 1000 years prior to Guild Wars 1, during an era when human deities roamed the kingdom of Orr.
These gods bestowed magic upon the kingdom's trusted guilds—the warring guilds that give the series its name—and players can join one called the Vaelwardens. Crucially, however, these are not the same guilds that lend the franchise its title. Those guilds clash over magical bloodstones many years later, after the gods depart Orr (due to dragon-related chaos). This game, Guild Wars 3, unfolds before the gods decide to leave.
There are still dangers to confront, some of which are hinted at in this video, such as dealing with individuals who desire magic but were not granted it, and others who seek to misuse newfound powers. Nonetheless, this means the historic guild wars will remain unseen. With the gods still present in the game's proposed timeframe, our characters would need to survive for over a century to witness a famous guild war in action.
That doesn't rule out the potential for some compelling moments in Guild Wars 3. Much of what occurs in Orr during this period remains unknown, though a few key events shape the entire series. There is the god Abbadon granting magic to all races, not just humans; Grenth becoming a relatively new deity in the pantheon; and more.
Of course, stepping away from the lore exploration for a moment, the original Guild Wars earned its name due to a focus on guild-versus-guild, player-versus-player combat, so it may not have mattered whether we saw a canonical guild war in action. Yet it remains a recurring question that resurfaces from time to time, especially among newer members of the player community.
Guild Wars 3 was one of the more exciting announcements at this year's Summer Game Fest, and it has already won fans over thanks to the studio head confirming that no subscription or battle pass will be included. Expect more video deep-dives as we approach the game's Q4 2027 beta release.