Although we are all still waiting on a lot of details surrounding Guild Wars 3, one important topic is locked-in: the setting of Guild Wars 3 will be Orr (but with a twist). Instead of the continent of Orr that many Guild Wars enjoyers already know, the setting of Guild Wars 3 is considered “Ancient” Orr, as the events within Guild Wars 3 have occurred over a thousand years before the events of Guild Wars Reforged.
Guild Wars 3 will be an opportunity for players to explore the true origins of Tyria, where they can further speculate and theory craft mysteries that the team believe will be incredibly compelling. Even the playable races in Guild Wars 3 have unique lore that is very different than the other Guild Wars games, as they’re all living in a very different time period than many previous players are used to.
New Adventures for Everyone
For those of you that may have never played a Guild Wars game before, don’t worry – you won’t be lost if you jump in and start with Guild Wars 3. The timeline of this game will be new to everyone, regardless of your previous experience with the Guild Wars franchise. The setting of Ancient Orr is also so drastically different than what players may remember from other games, so every player will be starting fresh together, making it a great opportunity to try this out for everyone.
Please note: The only benefit for players that have previously played Guild Wars 2 would be strictly cosmetic-like items, likely ranging from skins, titles, minis, and more. These rewards would be transferred to your Guild Wars 3 account, and only obtainable through the new Hall of Monuments system.
Understanding Ancient Orr
As mentioned, Guild Wars 3 is built around Ancient Orr, the people who live there, and about a specific guild that’s trying to find its place in a world that’s full of challenges, tension, and ongoing changes. The stories and characters likely will be a bit more personal than previous Guild Wars games, as the setting itself is quite a bit more centralized and hyper-focused.
Rather than spreading across multiple regions rapidly, the team believed that focusing on a single region (Orr) is a unique approach that they haven’t done in the past. It allows them to “dig deeper” with the story line, and build a version of Orr that’s more layered, detailed, and interconnected, making it a true adventure.
The setting is meant to reward curiosity, exploration, and the ability to experience new activities and events in areas you have already previously explored (making Ancient Orr an ongoing area that’s worth exploring constantly – even if it means visiting areas you’ve already explored).
Regardless of where you are in your Guild Wars experience, Guild Wars 3 and Ancient Orr will be an adventure worth going on.