With the holiday season upon us, the studio is preparing to take a short break to recharge, spend time with our loved ones, and of course, complete our annual Wintersday achievements. Before we log off for the season, we want to take a moment to reflect on the year we've shared and express our gratitude for the incredible Guild Wars 2® community.
Another Landmark Year
We have a lot to be thankful for this year, and the release of Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity™, our sixth expansion, stands as one of the accomplishments we're most proud of as a studio. The team poured their hearts into this release, and it's been gratifying to see how strongly the community has responded to the changes and improvements we introduced with this expansion.
At this point in its release cycle, Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity has already outperformed Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds™ from a sales perspective, and the momentum from the expansion's release has helped grow the game, generally speaking. In recent months, we've seen periods where more new players joined us than at any point since our 2022 Steam debut (which itself was a high-water mark). Veteran players have been returning in droves, and overall player activity is higher now than it has been in years. It's been energizing to see momentum like this, and it's exceeded our expectations in nearly every way.
This year also marked two big anniversaries for us—the 25th anniversary of ArenaNet and the 20th anniversary of the original Guild Wars®. Reaching those milestones while Guild Wars 2 itself is thriving feels especially significant. In celebration, we released a studio retrospective documentary in partnership with Second Wind, tracing our journey from the earliest days of ArenaNet to the world we build together today, a reminder of where we began and how far we've come. If you haven't had a chance to watch it, you can check it out Watch on YouTube
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At the same time, we announced Guild Wars Reforged, a renewed commitment to supporting the original Guild Wars game with a bundle that includes all three classic campaigns in a refreshed package with updated UI, modern platform support, and improved accessibility for returning and new players alike. It's our way of honoring the legacy of the franchise and welcoming both veterans and fresh faces back to the world that started it all. You can learn more about Guild Wars Reforged here.
This year, we also explored new, bolder ways to introduce Guild Wars 2 to a wider audience. In June, we partnered with Summer Games Fest to showcase the game on one of the biggest stages in the industry, and just last week we premiered a new trailer during the preshow of The Game Awards, the premiere event in global gaming, reaching millions of viewers around the world. It was a proud moment for all of us and a wonderful opportunity to showcase Tyria on a truly global stage. If you missed it, you can watch the new trailer below:
Having those anniversaries, the documentary, and Guild Wars Reforged land during a year of resurgence, driven by Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity, makes this one of the most meaningful chapters in Guild Wars history. It reminds us: our story isn't just about today, but about a legacy that continues to evolve.
To everyone experiencing Guild Wars Reforged or Guild Wars 2 for the first time, returning after time away, or continuing your long journey with us: thank you for making this world and this community feel so vibrant.
Looking Ahead to Early 2026
The team is hard at work on the upcoming quarterly releases for Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity, and we'll be sharing more details, and our next quarterly roadmap, around the release of Quarterly Release 1 early next year. In the meantime, here are some key dates to look forward to:
- December 9–January 2: Wintersday Festival
- January 13: Skills and Balance Update
- January 13–20: Fractal Rush
- January 20–27: WvW Rush
- February 3: Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity Quarterly Release 1
- New Raid Encounter
- Raid/Strike System Unification with Quickplay
- Fashion Templates
- Wizard's Vault Update
- New Legendary Ring
Speaking of the new legendary ring, here's a little tease of the visuals that come with wearing it:
Thank you for an incredible 2025. See you in the new year, and happy Wintersday!
—Josh Davis, Game Director, Guild Wars 2