Guild Wars 2 is finally releasing on Steam. Previously only available on ArenaNet's site, the release on a wider platform is sure to bring a new influx of players to the longtime MMO. Despite its long run, Guild Wars 2 has remained a popular choice of MMO for many players who enjoy the game as an entirely free-to-play experience. Here's everything to know about the Guild Wars 2 release date on Steam.
Guild Wars 2 takes place in the high fantasy land of Tyria as it is war-torn by conflict. Players are given the choice between 5 races and 9 different classes. While there is a central story, players are given their own personal story experiences that can evolve with the player's choices. Over time, three expansions have been released with a fourth Guild Wars 2 expansion in development.
However, what is most unique about the MMO is its continuing insistence to be free-to-play. While originally requiring the purchase of the base game, Guild Wars 2 has since gone completely free-to-play, except for its expansions. With the Guild Wars 2 release date on Steam, it is now available to a much broader community who can now play it for free with no online subscription required.
Guild Wars 2 Releases on Steam on August 23rd
For its 10th year anniversary, Guild Wars 2 will be releasing on Steam on August 23, 2022. While the base game appears to be free, the expansions are not. However, the first two expansions, Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire, are bundled while the latest Guild Wars 2 expansion, End of Dragons, is a standalone purchase. Mind that for players looking to buy these, purchase the Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire expansions first as they not only develop the story in a linear progression but also provide new unlockable items to facilitate travel. Additionally, there is an in-game store where players may purchase additional cosmetic upgrades and upgrades for gems. Gems can be bought for real currency, but keep in mind that current gem codes will not work on Steam as they appear to be implementing a different system.
Lastly, living story episodes also appear to need to be purchased separately. Living story episodes are the ever-evolving story of the game and are continually updated. However, once they are over, they are gone unless purchased. Note that player characters must be at least level 80 to partake in living story quests and that the current season of living story quests are always free.
However, in an unfortunate bit of news, it does not appear that Steam will not existing Guild Wars 2 s, so those with existing s must continue to use ArenaNet's launcher. Regardless, the experience should be the same and players who have gotten the game on Steam should be able to play with current players using the ArenaNet launcher. This means that the current collection of players can only grow with the release on Steam and is certain to breathe new life into Guild Wars 2's fantastic, ever-evolving world.
