For example, free players will have less inventory space, will have a limit on how often they can begin new whispered conversations and will not be able to send mail to players. It's the same Guild Wars 2 that it's always been and the same gem store that it's always been.'ĭuring the PAX press conference today, O'Brien confirmed some restrictions related to free accounts. We're not going to make it so it starts free but has its hand out asking for money. We're not going back and changing the way the game is monetized. But there's that stigma that it's a different business model. 'We're not using the phrase 'free-to-play' for Guild Wars 2,' O'Brien said. The Black Lion Trading Company allows players to purchase mostly cosmetic items using gems, which are primarily attained through spending real money. O'Brien confirmed that the studio will not change the Black Lion Trading Company, its hub for real-money transactions which has been in the game since launch, in order to get more money out of free players. Guild Wars 2 is the game about tearing down those barriers and making it easy to play with your friends.' You have to buy the base game and each expansion pack just to be qualified to buy the latest.

'We've seen cases in the industry where a game is buy-to-play, it comes out with expansion packs, and you want to get your friends into the game, but they can't just buy the latest thing and play with you,' said O'Brien. 'Guild Wars 2 is the game about tearing down those barriers' Instead of changing their business model, O'Brien says making the core Guild Wars 2 experience free is more about removing barriers for entry, another key focus of the developer. We love that customers who bought the base Guild Wars 2 got more than 40 major content releases for free, no monthly fees.' 'You buy the game, you can play it as long as you want for no monthly fee. 'It's just such a clean business model,' O'Brien said. In an interview with Polygon earlier this week to prepare for the announcement, O'Brien told us that this shift to free for the base game doesn't change the studio's core approach buy-to-play, a model he has 'been championing since the original Guild Wars a decade ago.' In a press conference at the Penny Arcade Expo, ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien and Guild Wars 2 game director Colin Johanson surprised fans by announcing that the core Guild Wars 2 is officially available to play for free starting today. Just one day after announcing a release date for its new expansion, Heart of Thorns, developer ArenaNet unleashed even more major news for massively multiplayer RPG Guild Wars 2.

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