Guild Wars Afterlife, the first substantial gameplay update for the original Guild Wars in almost two decades, has been announced by ArenaNet and co-developer 2Weeks.
The PC and mobile update is slated for release on January 13th and will feature a new dynamic dungeon that alters its layout with each playthrough, alongside a skill-drafting system designed to create unique skill bars for each session. Players can also expect a new narrative to uncover, new characters to meet, and the unexplored region of Xotecha to discover.
Guild Wars Afterlife will be priced at $29.99 / €29.99 / £25.99, with a 20 percent discount available for pre-orders until the release date. This marks a significant event for the MMORPG, as its last major content addition was the Eye of the North expansion in August 2007. Following that release, ArenaNet shifted its primary focus to Guild Wars 2, while maintaining the original game's servers.
The game has seen a resurgence in recent times, partly due to the Guild Wars Reforged update released late last year, and a new dungeon added in April, which has drawn both new and returning players back to the game.
ArenaNet is currently managing development for three live service titles concurrently: Guild Wars Reforged (including Afterlife), the MMORPG Guild Wars 2, and the upcoming action-oriented Guild Wars 3. The simultaneous support for these titles indicates confidence in the ongoing viability of the MMO market.