Update From the Guild Wars 2 Team

[Kanok.3027]

@Jura.2170 said:Could you please ask Josh Foreman to come back one day and make Super Adventure world 3?

This a thousand times! I love SAB and many others do too, so would love to see it completed!

[Blude.6812]

@"zealex.9410" said:Are we going to hear at any point about these unannounced projects, whether they have been cancelled and such?

Its reassuring to hear that you guys got our back on gw2 but a number of us is scared for the future of the studio and gw2 becomes less and less relevant over time.

No pressure ofc and i want to thank you for the update nonetheless.

they have signed Non disclosure agreements , see a devs post quoted here https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/69879/matthew-medina-barefoot-matthew-on-reddit#latest

[Chelu.2095]

Thank you for this!

I hope this is a start to a more open communication with the community. Since Gaile and Ben are gone we need it more then ever! Keep us updated how things are going. Communication is key!

All the best going forward! <3

[Spike.5073]

Mike,

as much as I appreciate this small update, I have a major gripe with it. Nothing in this speaks of the mistakes you made in the past that led this company up to this point, no promises are made that you will be trying even harder in the future for the benefit of this game and its players. What focus is it you speak to regain? Do you want to try your best to uphold the old schedule, the one so many people thought not good enough? The old quality standards that brought us classics like the bugged Living World instances, the screwed balance and abuse of the system in PvP? You'll share a little, but is it again so little that we have no idea what you're actually working on?

All I can read is that you had a stroke of bad luck and that you try to uphold old standards with fewer talent. And that is just not good enough for me. You brought this upon yourself, and I'm very sorry to say this, but your old standards are just not good enough, and it pains me to read that you are trying to reach them and not aim to be better, work harder and get out of this as a stronger company. Instead you prefer to lick your wounds and hope for the support and patience of your community.

We've been very patient in the past already. Your turn. Don't aim at your old good enough, because it wasn't just that.

I sincerly believe you and many other devs need to hear this. Get it together.

See you in your next update.

[Kam.4092]

Would be cool to know if an expansion is a goal for the future.

[Bast.7253]

@Spike.5073 said:Mike,

as much as I appreciate this small update, I have a major gripe with it. Nothing in this speaks of the mistakes you made in the past that led this company up to this point, no promises are made that you will be trying even harder in the future for the benefit of this game and its players. What focus is it you speak to regain? Do you want to try your best to uphold the old schedule, the one so many people thought not good enough? The old quality standards that brought us classics like the bugged Living World instances, the screwed balance and abuse of the system in PvP? You'll share a little, but is it again so little that we have no idea what you're actually working on?

All I can read is that you had a stroke of bad luck and that you try to uphold old standards with fewer talent. And that is just not good enough for me. You brought this upon yourself, and I'm very sorry to say this, but your old standards are just not good enough, and it pains me to read that you are trying to reach them and not aim to be better, work harder and get out of this as a stronger company. Instead you prefer to lick your wounds and hope for the support and patience of your community.

We've been very patient in the past already. Your turn. Don't aim at your old good enough, because it wasn't just that.

I sincerly believe you and many other devs need to hear this. Get it together.

See you in your next update.

Yeah, I think in an attempt to not shower them with critique I’m just going to say that it feels like a safer route to just distance yourself emotionally and be conservative. Just think I’m going to hold off and speak only with my money from here on out. Not sure there’s much of a point in doing much else. If the developer wasn’t passionate about the game to make it the main priority, should the community be forced to carry it for them? Because it feels like the community has been more passionate about the game than the ones making all of these decisions to divert focus for quite some time now. And despite the mention of quality, I think it’s been pretty noticeable that the bar has slipped quite a bit this season. Relying on hope has been the constant theme lately, and it just seems wiser at this point to drop all expectations and move on. I think a lot more people will just start shelving this game until content updates are released, and maybe that’s ultimately what the goal was for this game to be. A fun thing to come back to every three or four months with brief spikes in revenue during those times. Still feel sorry for the ones left on the project, that have probably had to work their ass off to maintain the quality and content we have had. But shifting focus to other projects and moving all of this development to other projects, then insisting time and time again that the restructuring and existing delays were due to improvements for the future, when the reality is probably that the development was an understaffed mess full of extremely talented individuals that probably didn’t even get to release everything they envisioned due to time and budge cut restraints.... quality that could have been much higher had it the creators had the opportunity and backing of the developer.... sorry, but I’m definitely not eager to express praise. Just feels reallll shady to me.

[borogove.4739]

Thanks for the update, it’s really appreciated. I hope that as things settle and you all are able to get organized again, that you’ll be able to find new joy and inspiration through the renewed studio wide focus.

And maybe be able to draw straws finally on who gets to do something with the wizards tower! :lol:

[Kilrik.6320]

Ty for the info. and all the best to those who remain and those who have been lost. I've thoroughly enjoyed gw1 and gw2 and will show my support with continued play and purchase.

[bartolotrab.8507]

Can't say thank you enough. May the six watch over you!

[Blaeys.3102]

Sorry you and your team have had to go through this.

Still think GW2 is one of the best games of all time.

[Krew.3081]

Thanks for the update, we all appreciate that. Along with feeling your loss, I think - I speak for most when I say; I wish all of us a lucrative, productive and happy year. Especially the amazing people who are no longer with us.

[zealex.9410]

@Blude.6812 said:

@"zealex.9410" said:Are we going to hear at any point about these unannounced projects, whether they have been cancelled and such?

Its reassuring to hear that you guys got our back on gw2 but a number of us is scared for the future of the studio and gw2 becomes less and less relevant over time.

No pressure ofc and i want to thank you for the update nonetheless.

they have signed Non disclosure agreements , see a devs post quoted here

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/69879/matthew-medina-barefoot-matthew-on-reddit#latest

Yeah ik ppl outside the company has signed nda. I was asking more about the studio itself telling us more, down the line.

[Dashingsteel.3410]

2 key questions I wish Anet would answer. Are we to expect any more expansions? Has the alliance system for wvw been dropped?

[ZDragon.3046]

@OniGiri.9461 said:what about raids? :( :( :(

pretty sure you will still get a raid every other living world story just as its been doing thus far. 1 story = 1 new fractal the next story = 1 new raid wing i wouldnt worry about that at all. ;)

[Cerioth.7062]

Thank you for the update, you all have my full support, as well as my guild's.

[Malediktus.9250]

The update says nothing about instanced group content or wvw alliances

[Thundabolt.8541]

Thank you for the update!!! Please continue to communicate with us!

[ambitiouscatgeek.2430]

Thank you for the update! I was so worried about the future of the game, as I am sure a lot of us were. It's still sad to see so many people from the team go. I want to thank you all (including the people that don't work for ANet anymore) for all the hard work you do. I am looking forward to see what changes are going to be made to the game, I hope they are good ones.

[Donari.5237]

@Malediktus.9250 said:The update says nothing about instanced group content or wvw alliancesThis may not be the alliances you are talking about, but:OP said:Our long-term plans for the game like World Restructuring and large-scale improvements to quality of life are still in the works.

Thank you Mike Z. I know it's been a heart-rending period over there. I'm glad you have plans to keep on going, and I hope you can share more details with us when possible.

[Xar.6279]

Hello, Mike Zadorojny.7058! :)

• Living World
• PvP tournaments
• WvW events
• SaB festival

But what about raids? What can we expect?

[Nor.2057]

One of the most awaited updates that ive been having about this whole ordeal , but its understandable and im glad the commitment its still on the game, keep it up! cause we as players also will be going full on with great expectations .Thank you Mike Z.And lastly...one of my concerns is since the community forum manager Gaile is no longer with us and was one of the most informatives in that position... and...even though she is irreplaceable, i was wondering if another dev will take that position and communicate with us in a similar way?

[cyndelaq.7148]

Wow! I'm sorry to hear about the layoffs. I had no idea that things were rocky with my favorite developer... Here's to a swift recovery. Cheers!

[Daintrie.7356]

Thanks for the update Mike. My thoughts are with you and the team at Arenanet both past and still present. You've created something extraordinary with Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. Never let it go. I know I won't be.

[Borne Trickster.8254]

Thank you very much for the update. Much love to all of you <3

[Mass Pandemic.3517]

Thanks for the communication and sorry for what happend. I'd rather see the team get the time they need to readjust than to work under stress it helps nobody not even us the players. Thank you to all of you guys who have put in amazing work to the game though , looking forward to the next update take care.