Somehow, the fantasy MMO Guild Wars is 20 years old: It launched in 2005 and it's still ticking over today. That's an impressive accomplishment by any measure, and ArenaNet isn't letting the anniversary pass unnoticed. The studio has rolled out a new content update that makes a range of previously-inaccessible promotional items from the early days of Guild Wars available to everyone, and there's also a new edition of the game that includes, well, everything, that's on sale until the end of April.
The new-to-you items in Guild Wars' newest content update were previously "only obtainable as pre-order and territorial bonuses from the mid-2000s," ArenaNet said, and I think finally putting them in the game for one and all is a cool move: I can see why some people might want to hold onto the "I was there when the world was born" exclusivity of these things, but really, you've had two decades—it's time to give sharing a chance, and what better time to do it than the 20th anniversary?
Ah, but there's a catch. Those items will only be available as rare drops from high-level enemies, so if you want them, you're going to have to work for them. If that doesn't sound like your idea of a good time, you'll also be able to snag a selection of limited-release miniatures as non-tradeable items from Merrise in Embark Beach—but only until May 6.
New upgrades for main-hand weapons are also being added as rare drops: "These 'of the Profession' modifiers will set the level of the named profession’s primary attribute to as much as 5, even if you wouldn’t normally have access to that attribute, granting new build possibilities to established characters," ArenaNet explained. Importantly, weapons bearing the modifiers will also have groovy glowing streaks when you wave them around.
If all this sounds like the sort of action you want to get into, the 20th Anniversary Masterpiece Collection of Guild Wars is the way to go. It includes all previously released Guild Wars content—the Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall campaigns, plus the Eye of the North expansion and the Bonus Mission Pack—along with bonus items, weapons, and a combat ally, and eight character slots for new players. It's currently on sale for $8, 80% off the regular price—"the biggest discount in Guild Wars' history," ArenaNet said.
That same discount is being offered on other editions of Guild Wars on Steam, so just snag a bit of this-and-that if you'd rather.
"It’s very rare for any game to reach 20 years of operation," Guild Wars Game Director Stephen Clarke-Willson said. "It’s a testament to the support and love from players across the decades that we’re still able to add new updates and content to the game. We are incredibly proud that Guild Wars has stood the test of time and reached this amazing milestone."
The Guild Wars 20th anniversary sale is live now and runs for two weeks, until April 29.
