Guild Wars 2 launches on Steam next week

At long last, ArenaNet’s Guild Wars 2 will launch on Steam in the coming days, marking the beloved MMORPG’s first release on a third-party platform.

Since its release 10 years ago in 2012, Guild Wars 2 has remained exclusive to a dedicated launcher. Developer ArenaNet intended to change as much a couple of years ago, announcing in August 2020 that the Guild Wars sequel would land on Steam that November.

Such plans were altered soon thereafter, with ArenaNet indefinitely postponing the Steam rollout to instead focus on developing the End of Dragons expansion.

The studio hasn’t abandoned Steam in its entirety, though. In fact, Guild Wars 2’s migration to another platform will come sooner than players expect.

Guild Wars 2 will finally hit Steam later this month

Today, August 16, ArenaNet has confirmed that Guild Wars 2 will make its way to the Valve-owned PC platform on Tuesday, August 23.

The Guild Wars 2 Complete Collection will land on Steam alongside the forthcoming launch, costing £86.97/$98.97. Collecting the first 10 years of the experience, the bundle packs in all five seasons of the episodic Living World.

In addition, those who purchase the collection can expect every expansion to feature as well – Heart of Thorns, Path of Fire, and End of Dragons included.

When ArenaNet initially announced the Steam version in 2020, it came with the caveat that existing players wouldn’t have the option to transfer their accounts. This presumably remains the case two years on.

The game’s Steam debut also marks its first time supporting Twitch Drops, which users can obtain by watching streamers play Guild Wars 2 on Twitch. Rewards consist of classic outfits, XP boosters, and an exclusive Glowing Purple Mask cosmetic.

ArenaNet plans to host the first Twitch Drop campaign from August 23 through August 28.