Guild Wars 2

One of the most hotly anticipated MMORPG releases of 2011, ArenaNet’s Guild Wars 2 promises an upgraded battle system, graphics, and leveling system over their wildly popular Guild Wars MMO. Although ArenaNet has not yet set a release date for Guild Wars 2, the company regularly releases information about the game. News of six professions including thief, elementalist, and necromancer have already been released.

Guild Wars 2 will offer both veteran Guild Wars players and players new to Tyria a clean slate of a world; current characters will not be transferrable, according to ArenaNet. However, players who have gotten attached to their character’s name can reserve the name and create that beloved character anew. New graphics and an upgraded skill system will streamline the process of selecting skills while cutting down on the number of less effective skill combinations.

One major change to the Guild Wars universe will be persistent areas similar to those in other MMORPGs. While instances will remain an integral part of the story, persistent larger zones will foster a deeper sense of community. As the game’s name implies, guild wars will still be a major part of the game, but large-scale world-versus-world matches will take place in The Mists.