Guild Wars 1 received a major Wintersday update on December 18, 2025 introducing Dhuum’s Covenant, a beta hardcore mode with permanent character death, and Reforged Mode alpha that implements experimental balance changes and new content without affecting the classic experience. The update arrives just 15 days after Guild Wars Reforged launched December 3 as a free update that brought the 20-year-old MMO out of maintenance mode with controller support, Steam Deck verification, HD graphics, and renewed developer support from ArenaNet and partner studio 2weeks formed by former Guild Wars 1 developers.
Dhuum’s Covenant Brings True Permadeath to Tyria
Dhuum’s Covenant functions as Guild Wars 1’s hardcore mode where character death is permanent, similar to Diablo’s hardcore system or World of Warcraft Classic Hardcore servers. When your character dies under Dhuum’s Covenant, that’s it. No resurrection, no continuing the campaign, no second chances. The character displays a special badge showing they’re playing under hardcore rules, creating bragging rights for players who successfully complete campaigns without dying once.
The mode is entirely optional, activated during character creation by selecting the Dhuum’s Covenant option. You can create standard characters and hardcore characters on the same account, allowing players to maintain safe characters for casual play while attempting permadeath runs separately. All players who opt into Dhuum’s Covenant can see each other’s special badges, creating community recognition for those willing to risk everything.
Unlike true ironman modes in other games, Dhuum’s Covenant doesn’t restrict trading or account-wide progression benefits like Hall of Monuments rewards. You can still use items and gold from other characters, access shared storage, and receive help from friends through trading. This makes it a soft hardcore mode focused purely on the permadeath aspect rather than complete self-sufficiency, which some hardcore purists criticize as not truly hardcore while others appreciate the accessibility.
The name Dhuum references Guild Wars lore’s god of death who was overthrown by Grenth but remains imprisoned, attempting to break free and reclaim his position. Using Dhuum for the hardcore mode name fits thematically since Dhuum represents permanent death in the game’s mythology, unlike standard death where friendly gods allow resurrection. Players who die under Dhuum’s Covenant have truly fallen under his domain with no escape.
Reforged Mode Tests Radical Changes Without Ruining Classic
Reforged Mode represents ArenaNet’s solution to the fundamental problem facing any classic game revival: how do you improve and expand a 20-year-old game without destroying what made it special? Players want new content and modern quality-of-life improvements, but they also want the classic experience preserved. Reforged Mode lets both camps coexist by making experimental changes optional rather than forcing everyone to adapt or quit.
Currently in alpha and only affecting pre-Searing Ascalon, Reforged Mode introduces new content like the Piken Square outpost that players must fight their way to reach, along with balance adjustments including 5 percent increased experience and gold gains throughout the Prophecies campaign. Characters playing in Reforged Mode display a special badge, and only parties where all members use Reforged Mode can access its exclusive content and changes. Mixed parties default to standard classic content.
The alpha designation means everything in Reforged Mode is experimental and subject to change or complete removal based on player feedback. ArenaNet will incrementally roll out changes across the entire Prophecies campaign over coming months, then presumably expand to Factions and Nightfall campaigns if the community responds positively. This testing-in-production approach lets developers gather real player data on proposed changes before committing.
Reforged Mode is currently only available in English, suggesting localization for other languages will come once the content stabilizes beyond constant iteration. The requirement that all party members use Reforged Mode to experience its content prevents situations where one player gets confused why they can’t access outposts their friend sees, maintaining clarity about which version of Guild Wars 1 you’re actually playing at any given moment.
Four Player Parties in Pre-Searing Finally Happen
The December 18 update also allows four-player parties in pre-Searing Ascalon for the first time in Guild Wars 1’s 20-year history. Pre-Searing represents the tutorial zone before the Searing apocalypse devastates Ascalon, and it was previously limited to two-player parties. Expanding to four players makes the early content more social and accessible for friend groups who want to experience nostalgia together from the very beginning.
This change applies to all characters in pre-Searing regardless of whether they’re using Dhuum’s Covenant, Reforged Mode, or playing standard classic mode. It represents a pure quality-of-life improvement that doesn’t fundamentally alter game balance but makes the experience more enjoyable for returning veterans who want to introduce friends to Guild Wars 1 without splitting the group.
Pre-Searing Ascalon holds legendary status among Guild Wars 1 players as the beautiful untouched kingdom before catastrophe strikes. Some players created characters who permanently stayed in pre-Searing, reaching maximum level through limited content just to preserve that peaceful world. The expanded party size gives these pre-Searing purists more options for social play without forcing them to experience the post-Searing wasteland.
The Shocking Guild Wars Reforged Launch Two Weeks Ago
These new modes arrive barely two weeks after Guild Wars Reforged launched December 3, catching the gaming community by surprise. ArenaNet announced the project November 17 during the PC Gaming Show, giving players just 16 days notice before a complete relaunch of a game that had been in maintenance mode for over a decade. The free update for existing players and $20 entry point for newcomers immediately drove concurrent Steam players from the usual 200 to 600 up past 5,000.
Guild Wars Reforged isn’t new content or a remake, but rather a technical modernization featuring HD graphics overhaul, enhanced audio with 3D environmental sound, UI redesign for modern resolutions, controller support, Steam Deck verification, and rendering improvements including anti-aliasing and ambient occlusion. The update transforms a game designed for 2005 hardware and 4:3 monitors into something playable on contemporary systems without fundamentally changing gameplay.
Developer 2weeks formed specifically to work on Guild Wars Reforged, comprising former ArenaNet staff who originally created Guild Wars 1. This team understands the game’s code, design philosophy, and community expectations better than anyone, making them uniquely qualified to modernize without destroying what made the original special. Their partnership with ArenaNet ensures official support and resources while maintaining creative control from people who genuinely care about Guild Wars 1’s legacy.
The demand for Guild Wars Reforged overwhelmed ArenaNet’s projections, causing download server problems the first weekend as thousands simultaneously tried grabbing the client. ArenaNet publicly acknowledged they underestimated interest and scrambled to add server capacity before the weekend rush. This represents a nice problem for a 20-year-old game supposedly relegated to maintenance mode, demonstrating that Guild Wars 1 still has a passionate audience willing to return if given proper support.
Why Guild Wars 1 Matters in 2025
Guild Wars 1 occupies a unique space in MMO history because it launched in 2005 before World of Warcraft had crystallized modern MMO design conventions. It plays more like a co-op action RPG with shared town hubs, dual-class deckbuilding heavily inspired by Magic: The Gathering, and instanced mission areas rather than open world grinding. This design feels fresh in 2025 precisely because it predates the WoW template that dominated the genre for two decades.
The skill system lets players combine two professions and build custom decks from hundreds of skills, creating depth that modern MMOs abandoned in favor of streamlined rotations. A Warrior/Elementalist plays completely differently than Warrior/Monk or Warrior/Necromancer, and within each combination you can build tanky, damage-focused, or hybrid variations depending on skill selection. Theory-crafting communities spent years discovering synergies and optimal builds that still get discussed today.
Guild Wars 1 also featured one of the best PvP systems ever implemented in an MMO, with structured competitive modes including Guild vs Guild territory control, randomized arenas, and organized tournaments with cash prizes. The game initially sold itself as a competitive PvP experience with PvE content serving primarily as a way to unlock skills for PvP characters. While the PvP scene eventually declined, Guild Wars 1 proved that MMOs could support legitimate esports before that concept became mainstream.
What Comes Next for Guild Wars Reforged
ArenaNet stated that Guild Wars Reforged isn’t a one-time update but the beginning of ongoing development after years in maintenance mode. Dhuum’s Covenant and Reforged Mode launching just two weeks after the initial release demonstrates commitment to adding new systems and content rather than just polishing the existing game. The question is whether this momentum continues or fizzles once the initial nostalgia wave passes.
Reforged Mode’s rollout across Prophecies, then presumably Factions and Nightfall campaigns, will take months or years depending on scope and community reception. Each campaign features distinct mechanics, storylines, and design philosophies that require careful consideration when implementing experimental changes. Factions’ fast-paced leveling and Nightfall’s hero system create different balance considerations than Prophecies’ slower tutorial-heavy approach.
The bigger question is whether ArenaNet will create genuinely new content beyond balance tweaks and quality-of-life improvements. New missions, areas, skills, or even entire campaigns would represent unprecedented support for a 20-year-old game, but the Piken Square outpost added in Reforged Mode suggests ArenaNet is willing to expand Guild Wars 1’s world rather than just preserving it. Whether this constitutes resurrecting a dead game or desecrating a sacred relic depends entirely on execution quality.
Guild Wars 2 players watching this revival probably feel mixed emotions. ArenaNet dedicating resources to Guild Wars 1 means fewer resources for Guild Wars 2, which itself receives criticism for insufficient content updates and poor communication. However, different teams handle each game, and Guild Wars Reforged’s $20 price point for new players presumably funds its own development without cannibalizing Guild Wars 2’s budget. Still, the optics of reviving the predecessor while the sequel struggles creates uncomfortable narratives.
FAQs
What is Dhuum’s Covenant in Guild Wars 1?
Dhuum’s Covenant is a beta hardcore mode added December 18, 2025 featuring permanent character death. When your character dies, that’s it – no resurrection or continuing the campaign. It’s optional and selected during character creation, with characters displaying a special badge showing hardcore status.
What is Reforged Mode in Guild Wars?
Reforged Mode is an alpha testing system where ArenaNet implements experimental balance changes and new content without affecting the classic experience. Currently only available in pre-Searing Ascalon in English, it adds new outposts like Piken Square and 5 percent increased XP and gold in Prophecies.
Is Guild Wars Reforged free?
Yes, Guild Wars Reforged is completely free for existing players who owned any version of Guild Wars 1. The update automatically applies to your existing account with all campaigns unlocked even if you previously only owned one. New players can purchase Guild Wars Reforged for $20.
Can you play Guild Wars 1 on Steam Deck?
Yes, Guild Wars Reforged is verified for Steam Deck with full controller support. The December 3, 2025 update added controller compatibility, Steam Deck optimization, and UI scaling for handheld screens, making the 20-year-old MMO playable on modern portable hardware.
Does Dhuum’s Covenant restrict trading?
No, Dhuum’s Covenant only implements permanent death without restricting trading, shared storage access, or account-wide progression benefits like Hall of Monuments rewards. You can still receive help from friends and use items from other characters, making it a soft hardcore mode focused purely on permadeath.
When did Guild Wars Reforged launch?
Guild Wars Reforged launched December 3, 2025 as a free update for existing players. ArenaNet announced the project November 17 during the PC Gaming Show, giving just 16 days notice before releasing the modernized version developed by partner studio 2weeks.
How many players are playing Guild Wars 1 now?
Guild Wars 1’s concurrent Steam player count jumped from the usual 200-600 to over 5,000 after Guild Wars Reforged launched December 3, 2025. This exceeded ArenaNet’s projections and caused server capacity issues during the first weekend as thousands downloaded the updated client.
Will Reforged Mode add new campaigns?
ArenaNet hasn’t confirmed new campaigns, but Reforged Mode will gradually expand across Prophecies then potentially Factions and Nightfall with experimental changes and new content. The Piken Square outpost added in pre-Searing suggests ArenaNet is willing to create new areas beyond just balance tweaks.
Conclusion
The December 18 addition of Dhuum’s Covenant hardcore mode and Reforged Mode alpha demonstrates that Guild Wars Reforged represents genuine commitment to ongoing development rather than a one-time nostalgia cash grab. Launching two experimental game modes just 15 days after the initial Reforged release shows ArenaNet and 2weeks have ambitious plans for a 20-year-old MMO that most companies would have shut down a decade ago.
Dhuum’s Covenant addresses the hardcore permadeath audience that every game seems to add eventually, from Diablo to World of Warcraft to Path of Exile. Permanent death creates stakes and tension impossible in standard games where death means a few seconds respawn delay. Whether enough Guild Wars 1 players want that level of challenge to justify the development resources remains uncertain, but the optional nature means it harms nobody who prefers standard mode.
Reforged Mode solves the fundamental problem facing any classic game revival by letting experimental changes coexist with the preserved original. Players who want Guild Wars 1 exactly as it was in 2005 can ignore Reforged Mode entirely. Players who want quality-of-life improvements, balance changes, and new content can opt into the evolving version. Both camps get what they want without forcing compromise that satisfies nobody.
The execution will determine whether these systems succeed or fail. If Reforged Mode changes feel arbitrary or poorly balanced, players will ignore it and stick with classic. If Dhuum’s Covenant doesn’t provide adequate rewards or recognition for hardcore completion, players won’t bother with the frustration. And if ArenaNet abandons active development after initial hype fades, these modes become abandoned experiments rather than sustained systems.
What makes this particularly interesting is that Guild Wars 1 already has a successful sequel in Guild Wars 2, yet ArenaNet is investing resources into reviving the predecessor. This suggests the original Guild Wars occupies a design space that Guild Wars 2 doesn’t fill, justifying parallel development for audiences wanting different MMO experiences. Whether this dual-game strategy proves sustainable or spreads resources too thin will become apparent over the next year.
For players who loved Guild Wars 1 and left years ago when updates stopped, now represents the best time to return. The modernized client runs smoothly on contemporary hardware, controller support makes it accessible on Steam Deck or couch gaming setups, and active development means new content is actually coming instead of just maintaining legacy servers. The $20 price for newcomers or free update for returning players makes trying it essentially risk-free.
The bigger question is whether this revival can attract genuinely new players who never experienced Guild Wars 1 during its original run. The unique dual-class skill system and instanced mission design still feel fresh compared to modern MMOs, but 20 years of interface and quality-of-life evolution means Guild Wars 1 will feel dated in ways that frustrate players accustomed to contemporary conveniences. Reforged Mode’s gradual improvements might address this, but catching up two decades of MMO design progress takes time.
Ultimately, Guild Wars Reforged with its experimental modes represents one of the most interesting MMO revival projects in recent years. Most classic game relaunches just preserve the original experience through emulation or minimal updates. ArenaNet is attempting something more ambitious by actively developing new systems and content for a 20-year-old game while preserving the classic experience for purists. If it works, it provides a blueprint for reviving other dead MMOs. If it fails, at least they tried something creative instead of just running legacy servers.