The original Guild Wars has hit its highest player count in thirteen years, thanks in part to a host of 20th anniversary celebrations. This fantasy MMORPG has been around for two decades and, going by the response to the anniversary, still holds a special place in many players’ hearts.
Want to feel old? It’s been 20 years since classic MMORPG Guild Wars released and developer ArenaNet is marking the occasion with a special in-game festival.
Guild Wars’ anniversary events include special drops in-game, the reopening of minigames Rollerbeetle Racing and Dragon Arena, the opportunity to claim a literal hellhound as a pet and more. On top of that, players who’ve been with the game eight years will receive a special gift box.
These events, and the anniversary itself, have seen its player count rocket to a 13 year high. Guild Wars normally has around 100-200 concurrent players, but the anniversary has seen that number hit 699.
That might not seem like a lot compared to Last Epoch’s 150,000+ players, but it’s still a serious achievement for a game that’s been around for two decades and was followed by a sequel.
The anniversary events no doubt helped draw players in, but there’s a real nostalgia factor attached to the game. One long-standing Reddit thread has players, current and former, reminiscing about their experiences with the game. Tales include bonding with a parent over the game, pushing their class to the limit and just chilling to the game’s soundtrack.
Guild Wars’ celebration events run until May 6 and the game is currently 80% off on Steam. Or if you prefer to play solo, we’ve rounded up the best RPGs and best fantasy games.
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