ArenaNet revealed on December 5, 2025, that the launch of Guild Wars Reforged completely blew past their expectations, causing download speed issues and server strain as thousands of players flooded back to the 20-year-old MMORPG. The game peaked at 5,356 concurrent players on Steam just days after its December 3 launch, a massive jump from the 200-600 players the game typically maintained before Reforged. Those Steam numbers only represent a fraction of the total playerbase too, since many returning veterans are accessing the game through the standalone launcher they’ve been using since 2005.
What Is Guild Wars Reforged
Guild Wars Reforged is a modernization update for the original Guild Wars that launched April 28, 2005. This isn’t a remake or even a full remaster, but rather a comprehensive technical overhaul that brings the 20-year-old game up to modern standards. ArenaNet partnered with a new studio called 2weeks (founded by former Guild Wars developers) to implement controller support, Steam Deck verification, rendering improvements, UI fixes for high-DPI displays, rebuilt positional audio, and general quality-of-life enhancements.
The Reforged edition bundles all three original campaigns (Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall) plus the Eye of the North expansion into one package priced at $19.99 for new players. Existing players who own any of the campaigns automatically get the others unlocked for free when Reforged went live. ArenaNet emphasized that Reforged doesn’t contain exclusive content, it’s simply updating the base game for everyone. The studio also committed to ongoing updates beyond the initial launch, marking the game’s exit from pure maintenance mode for the first time in over a decade.
Why Everyone Came Back
Guild Wars occupies a unique space in MMORPG history. It launched as a subscription-free alternative to World of Warcraft back when monthly fees were the industry standard. The game featured a deck-building approach to character builds with over 1,000 skills across 10 professions, where you picked a primary and secondary class and constructed an 8-skill bar from that combined pool. Combat was heavily strategic and team-oriented, inspired by Magic: The Gathering according to the developers.
The game never required grinding for levels since the cap was 20, which players typically hit within 10-15 hours. Instead, progression focused on collecting skills, building better teams, and mastering strategy. PvP was a massive component with dedicated modes like Guild versus Guild battles, Alliance battles, and the prestigious Hall of Heroes. The game also pioneered instanced content, where the open world hubs were shared spaces but missions and explorable areas were private instances for your party.
| Feature | Guild Wars (Original) | Guild Wars 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | April 2005 | August 2012 |
| Business Model | Buy-to-play, no subscription | Buy-to-play, no subscription |
| Combat Style | Strategic, deck-building, 8-skill bar | Action-oriented, 10+ skills, dodging |
| Max Level | 20 (reached quickly) | 80 (longer progression) |
| World Type | Instanced with hubs | Open world with dynamic events |
| Professions | 10 with dual-class system | 9 with elite specializations |
The Server Situation
ArenaNet’s statement acknowledged that demand exceeded projections, causing longer download times for players using the standalone launcher rather than Steam. The company responded by adding additional servers to improve download speeds and reduce loading times. Reddit posts from launch day described PvE hubs packed with players, multiple Random Arena shards running simultaneously, and various PvP modes hosting large-scale matches all at once, something the community hasn’t seen in years.
The Steam Charts numbers tell an interesting story. Before Reforged launched, Guild Wars averaged around 200-600 concurrent players on Steam. The game came to Steam relatively late in its lifecycle, so most of the remaining playerbase still used the original launcher. After Reforged’s December 3 launch, the Steam concurrent player count jumped to over 5,300, with the all-time peak hitting 5,356 on December 3. As of December 6, the game maintains around 4,000-4,500 concurrent players on Steam during peak hours.
What Made Guild Wars Special
Guild Wars represented a different philosophy for MMORPGs compared to the World of Warcraft model that dominated the 2000s. ArenaNet’s founders left Blizzard specifically because they wanted creative autonomy and didn’t want to make another typical MMO sequel. They designed Guild Wars around accessibility and skill expression rather than time investment. You could create a PvP-only character at max level with all skills unlocked and jump straight into competitive modes without touching PvE if you preferred.
The build template system was revolutionary for its time. You could save entire skill and equipment loadouts, then share them as simple chat codes. This made theorycrafting and experimentation incredibly smooth. Want to try a new meta build someone posted on a forum? Just paste the code and instantly swap your entire setup. The game also featured proper AI heroes you could customize with skills and equipment, making solo play genuinely viable even in endgame content designed for full parties.
Why Guild Wars 2 Didn’t Replace It
Guild Wars 2 launched in August 2012 as a fundamentally different game. Where Guild Wars emphasized strategic team combat and deck-building, Guild Wars 2 went for visceral action combat with dodging, dynamic events, and traditional open-world exploration. Guild Wars 2 focused on making running around a big fantasy world as fun as possible. The combat became more intuitive and visually descriptive, skills barely needed reading because animations explained everything.
But this shift alienated a significant portion of the original Guild Wars community who loved the strategic depth and dual-class system. Guild Wars 2 removed secondary professions entirely, simplified skill selection, and changed PvP from the structured competitive modes Guild Wars offered to something more casual-friendly. The two games share a name and universe but play nothing alike, which explains why Guild Wars maintained an active playerbase even 13 years after its sequel launched.
FAQs
Is Guild Wars Reforged free if I already own the original?
Yes, all updates in Guild Wars Reforged apply to everyone who owns the game. If you previously purchased any of the three campaigns (Prophecies, Factions, or Nightfall), you’ll automatically get the other campaigns unlocked for free when you log in. The $19.99 price is only for completely new players who never purchased Guild Wars before.
Does Reforged add new content or just technical improvements?
Reforged focuses entirely on technical modernization and quality-of-life improvements. There’s no new story content, zones, skills, or professions. The update adds controller support, Steam Deck compatibility, improved rendering, high-DPI UI scaling, rebuilt positional audio, and various fixes. ArenaNet stated they plan ongoing updates but haven’t specified if future updates will include new content.
Can I play Guild Wars Reforged solo?
Yes, the game includes AI henchmen and customizable heroes that fill party slots. You can complete the entire PvE campaign solo using heroes, which you unlock as you progress through the story. Many players prefer solo play with heroes because you can control the entire party composition and strategy. Only certain high-end PvP modes require real players.
Do I need to play Guild Wars to understand Guild Wars 2?
No, Guild Wars 2 takes place 250 years after the original and tells a completely separate story. While there are lore connections and returning characters, Guild Wars 2 was designed so new players don’t need knowledge of the first game. That said, playing the original does add context and makes certain Guild Wars 2 references more meaningful.
Is Guild Wars still subscription-free?
Yes, Guild Wars has always been buy-to-play with no monthly subscription fee. You purchase the game once (now $19.99 for the complete Reforged edition) and can play forever without additional costs. This was revolutionary when the game launched in 2005, as most MMORPGs charged $15 per month on top of the box price.
What’s the current max level in Guild Wars?
The level cap remains 20, which most players reach within 10-15 hours of gameplay. Unlike modern MMOs where hitting max level is just the beginning of progression, Guild Wars was designed so reaching level 20 happens relatively early. The real progression comes from unlocking skills, collecting equipment, completing campaigns, and mastering build strategies.
Can I transfer my old Guild Wars character to Guild Wars 2?
No direct character transfers exist, but Guild Wars 2 includes a Hall of Monuments system that rewards Guild Wars 2 players based on achievements completed in the original Guild Wars. You link your accounts and earn cosmetic rewards like skins, titles, and miniatures in Guild Wars 2 based on your Guild Wars accomplishments.
Who is the studio 2weeks working on Reforged?
2weeks is a new studio founded by former Guild Wars developers who worked on the original game. ArenaNet partnered with 2weeks specifically for Guild Wars Reforged because these developers have deep familiarity with the codebase and design philosophy. The collaboration began in early 2025 and aims to continue supporting the game beyond the initial Reforged launch.
What This Means Going Forward
The overwhelming response to Guild Wars Reforged proves there’s still significant appetite for the original game’s unique take on the MMORPG formula. ArenaNet’s commitment to ongoing updates suggests they’re serious about supporting the game rather than treating Reforged as a one-and-done nostalgia project. Whether that support eventually includes new content beyond technical improvements remains unclear, but the fact that developers are actively working on a 20-year-old game at all is remarkable.
The success also raises questions about Guild Wars 2’s direction. If thousands of players prefer the strategic depth and build customization of the 2005 original over the 2012 sequel’s action-oriented approach, maybe there’s room for both games to coexist with distinct audiences. ArenaNet now has the data showing exactly how many people want that deck-building, team-strategy experience. Whether they leverage those insights for future projects or continue developing both games in parallel could define the franchise’s next decade.