gww>Dmitri Fatkin at 03:22, 12 January 2026

2026-01-12T03:22:33Z

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== Update, December 3, 2025 ==

'''[[Guild Wars Reforged]]''' is our largest update in years, released on December 3rd following the [[Anniversary Celebration|20th anniversary celebration]]. This update focuses on enhanced support for modern hardware, Steam integration, and controller compatibility.

==Release and Pricing==

Guild Wars Reforged is available for purchase on [[wikipedia:Steam (service)|Steam]] or directly from [[ArenaNet]] at https://store.guildwars.com. The newly revised edition includes all three original [[Guild Wars]] [[campaign]]s ([[Guild Wars Prophecies|Prophecies]], [[Guild Wars Factions|Factions]], and [[Guild Wars Nightfall|Nightfall]]) for $19.99. We've retired the ability to purchase campaigns separately. Players who previously owned only one or two campaigns or the [[PvP Access Kit|PvP Pack]] were automatically upgraded to all three chapters at no additional cost.

The [[Guild Wars Eye of the North|Eye of the North]] expansion and [[Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack|Bonus Mission Pack]] are now branded as DLC and available separately, requiring the base game purchase. Additional enhancements including [[Mercenary Hero|hero packs]], [[Skill Unlock Pack|skill packs]], and [[costume]]s have permanently reduced prices.

All Guild Wars Reforged enhancements are available as a free update for existing players.

==Features==

===Display and Resolution===

We've addressed compatibility issues with 4K displays, including fixes for arithmetic errors that previously caused crashes on ultra-high resolution monitors. The [[Options#Graphics|interface]] now offers six UI size options: ''Small'', ''Normal'', ''Large'', ''Larger'', ''Extra Large'', and ''Really Large'', enabling comfortable play on large-screen TVs and high-resolution displays.

The client is now DPI-aware, automatically defaulting to appropriate UI sizes based on monitor DPI settings. On [[wikipedia:Steam Deck|Steam Deck]], the interface defaults to ''Larger''.

===Steam Integration===

Guild Wars Reforged features full Steam integration with "Steam Deck Verified" status pending approval from Valve. Key Steam features include:

* Purchasing the game puts it in your Steam library, ready to play – no CD keys required.
* First time players will download the four gigabyte base gameplay data file using the Steam CDN which is fast! Incremental updates still use the old patching system but with far fewer files.
* Option to create accounts tied to your Steam ID or link existing email-based [[account]]s.
* Integration with [[Guild Wars 2]] Steam accounts for [[Hall of Monuments]] support when using Steam login.
* Improved store assets and review functionality.

'''Important Note''': Only a Steam-linked account will have access to new purchases made via Steam (Guild Wars Reforged, the Eye of the North expansion Steam DLC, or the Bonus Mission Pack DLC). If you have previously purchased any Guild Wars content on Steam, you will still be able to access that content on your existing account and apply any [[Access key|unused keys]] to your account.

===Controller Support===

We've introduced native support for [[wikipedia:Steam Deck|Steam Deck]] and [[wikipedia:DirectInput|XInput]] controllers (such as [[wikipedia:Xbox Wireless Controller|Xbox Wireless Controllers]]). This is very cool: Guild Wars knows you are playing on Steam Deck or with an XInput controller and UI input indicators now dynamically swap between gamepad and keyboard/mouse settings based on the most recent input type. This includes on-screen tooltips.

Campaign tutorials now show input hints based on your currently active input mode, so you will see gamepad hints if you're actively playing with a gamepad, or mouse and keyboard hints otherwise.

====Gameplay Controls====
* '''Left Stick''': Movement and auto-run (click)
* '''Right Stick''': Camera control
* '''Bumpers''': Enemy targeting (hold for closest enemy)
* '''D-pad''': Ally targeting and cursor mode toggle
* '''Face Buttons''': [[Auto attack]], [[cancel]], interact, and party management
* '''Start/Back''': Menu and [[World Map|world map]] access

====Advanced Controls====
With triggers held, players can access:
* '''Left Trigger + Face Buttons''': Skills 1-4
* '''Right Trigger + Face Buttons''': Skills 5-8
* '''Trigger + D-pad''': Panel toggles and item selection

====Virtual Cursor Mode====
A virtual cursor system enables mouse-like interactions with the gamepad. The cursor can be controlled with the left stick and activated by pressing D-pad right or automatically when opening menus. Players can "click" with the A button and navigate using D-pad presses or joystick flicks to snap to nearby interaction targets.

The interface dynamically swaps between gamepad and keyboard/mouse input indicators based on the most recent input type, including on-screen tooltips and campaign tutorial hints.

A new '''Gamepad Input Guide''' appears when using a controller, displaying available input shortcuts below the Task Tracker when holding triggers. This guide can be disabled in [[Options#Interface|Interface options]].

====Task Tracker====
A new Task Tracker displays active objectives for current [[mission]]s or selected [[quest]]s. The tracker can be repositioned or disabled in [[Options#Interface|Interface options]].

===Graphics Enhancements===

We've added new rendering enhancements:

* '''FXAA''': A new postprocessing-based antialiasing option that may provide better performance and antialiasing than MSAA, particularly at high resolutions.
* '''HD Bloom''': A reimplementation of the classic Guild Wars [[Postprocessing effects|bloom effect]] that scales better with HD resolutions. You can toggle HD Bloom in [[Options#Graphics|Graphics settings]]. HD Bloom is on by default.
* '''SSAO''': A screen-space ambient occlusion implementation that adds subtle self-shadowing to objects and characters. You can toggle SSAO in [[Options#Graphics|Graphics settings]]. SSAO is on by default.
* '''HD Skill Icons''': We've updated the [[skill icon]]s with HD versions, most of which have been reencoded from the original source. The rest have been upscaled and manually repainted. We have focused on preserving the look and feel of the icons while adding sharpness and clarity. You can toggle between the original icons and the upgraded icons using the new "HD Skill Icons" setting in the [[Options#Graphics|Graphics options]]. HD skill icons are on by default.

===Audio Improvements===

For years, you've seen a button on the [[Options#Sound|audio options]] tab that says "Use EAX". We've replaced it with an option that actually works by adding support for OpenAL Soft as an audio driver fully integrated without the need for the excellent player-created add-on. This includes integrating EFX support, which emulates the original hardware-based EAX enhanced audio Guild Wars previously supported (EAX was deprecated in Windows Vista). With OpenAL enabled, the game has enhanced reverb, occlusion, and reflection effects. The option is called "Enable Environmental Effects" on the [[Options#Sound|Options -> Sound]] page and is on by default.

===Login and Account Management===

We've made the login process smoother. On Steam, you now have the option of creating an account tied to your Steam ID or logging in to an existing email-based account. If you do choose to have your login handled by Steam, then you will also be linked to the corresponding [[Guild Wars 2]] [[gw2:Account|account]] for [[Hall of Monuments]] support (assuming you have both games on the same account).

You can now choose "Remember password" to save your password for the next time you launch the game. On Windows, this is implemented via the Credential Manager, and you can manage your saved credentials via Credential Manager as well as in-game.

If you find you are automatically getting a different login screen than you desire (for instance, Steam login instead of ArenaNet account login), you can press Cancel (or, on keyboard, the escape key) to return to the login type selection screen.

If you are running an out-of-date version of the client and need to patch, the client will now display an error at login with a "Restart" button.

If you are a video streamer, you might want to hide your account name when logging in and streaming. There is an option for that now in the [[Options#General|Options -> General]] page.

==Bug Fixes==

Recent Microsoft Co-Pilot laptops had rendering errors (extra black triangles and missing body parts for some [[profession]]s). These have been fixed by falling back to software 'skinning'.

==Known Issues==

There is currently no way to rebind controller buttons in-game. You can still remap controls on Steam via the controller management options Steam provides, but in-game glyphs may not match your customized control settings. We are planning to add in-game control customization and would appreciate feedback on what features you would like to see!

When resuming from standby mode on Steam Deck, the client may not recognize that it has lost its connection to the Guild Wars [[server]]s, and your character can become stuck and unable to perform any movement or actions. This is a compatibility issue with [[wikipedia:Proton (software)|Proton]] that we are tracking with Valve. You can manually log out or relaunch the game to recover.

[[Hero#Hero Control Panel|Hero management controls]] are usable via the virtual cursor on controller but are less efficient than the various mouse and keyboard shortcuts available on traditional PCs. We are planning on adding controller-based shortcuts to make controlling [[hero]]es easier and would appreciate any feedback on potential controller-based solutions!

Guild Wars in the Steam store is likely to be down for about an hour while it gets updated.

Status of Steam Deck verification: We are on our second submission to Valve. The feedback from the first submission was that there were places where the text was too small; we missed some text that said "click"; the "B" button did not cancel [[Cinematic|cutscenes]]; and Guild Wars does not recover properly from stand-by mode. This last issue is related to Proton compatibility, and we have submitted a bug report. In the meantime, we do our best to notice that Guild Wars mostly like lost its connection to the servers.

==Hot Fixes==
* Hot fix #1 (approx 10:00 a.m. Pacific time)
** Fixed a bug that would cause a client crash if you minimized the client while downloading files.

* Hot fix #2 (approx 2:30 p.m. Pacific time)
** Fixed an issue where only MSAA 2x was selectable for fullscreen mode.
** Fixed a motion blur rendering issue when SSAO is turned on.
** Fixed a bug for the task tracker reappearing when loading into new areas even when disabled.
** Fixed two rare crashes related to the download splash screen and changes to the gamepad connection state.

* Hot fix #3 (approx 4:00 p.m. Pacific time)
** Server maintenance build.

==Guild Wars Wiki notes==
* A new [[Options#General|"Enable dialog pinning"]] option has been added that attaches a pin button to several dialogs. Pinned dialog boxes do not close when pressing escape, even if "Do not close windows when I press escape" is disabled.
** Pins have also been added to some dialogs that do not close when pressing escape, such as the [[Hero#Monitoring and controlling|hero skill panels]] and [[Animal companion#Pet Controls panel|pet panels]].

<noinclude>[[Category:2025 updates]]</noinclude>

Feedback:Game updates/20251203 - Revision history

gww>Dmitri Fatkin at 03:22, 12 January 2026