Guild Wars 3: Momentum System and Tank/DPS/Healer Roles Revealed

The roughly 18-minute demo, led by studio head Colin Johanson, focused on two core pillars: movement and combat. Rather than simply adding more traversal options, the new system links movement directly to combat. Speed and momentum generated while climbing walls, gliding, or falling carry over into attacks, meaning the way a player moves into a fight becomes part of the fight itself.

Guild Wars 3 is the first new entry in the series in 14 years. Its setting is ancient Orr, a time before the First Guild War and before the human gods left Tyria. The world is in a state of high fantasy, with magic abundant but technology far less advanced than in Guild Wars 2. Players take on the role of a Vaelwarden, a member of the Order of the Vael, tasked with protecting the magical ecosystem of the Vael and the wilds of Orr.

The demo showcased how momentum transforms combat. A warrior falling from a height gained increased damage and range on aerial attacks. Pushing enemies into walls could cause additional damage and stun them, a mechanic that applied to players as well. The environment became a tool: cliffs, walls, and elevation differences directly influenced strategy. Enemies also had specific weak points; for example, a Burner enemy from the Mavenslight Guild had a fragile device on its back that could be destroyed by a coordinated party attack.

Party synergy was a key focus. A shield-bearing warrior could push allies upward to enable aerial attacks or repositioning. In another example, a spider enemy that slowed players with webs was countered by a party member applying fire damage to burn the webs and exploit the spider’s weakness to fire. This reflects the series’ traditional emphasis on build counters, where players must adapt their skill loadouts to specific enemies and environments.

In a Q&A session, Johanson addressed several key questions. On roles, he confirmed that Guild Wars 3 returns to a clearer tank, healer, and damage structure, similar to Guild Wars 1, though the method of fulfilling these roles varies by profession. A necromancer might tank with minions, while a warrior tanks with sword and shield.

On consoles, Johanson noted that while porting to PlayStation was not a major technical hurdle, designing for a controller was a significant challenge. The limited number of buttons forced the team to create more creative skill activation methods, such as skills that are only available after a dash or while wall-running. This constraint, he said, ultimately made combat more engaging.

Crossplay between PC, Steam, and consoles is supported, with all players sharing the same world. The game’s world is a single, seamless open world with far fewer loading screens than previous entries. Vaelwarden camps, inspired by Guild Wars 1 hubs, exist within this open world, allowing players to interact, change builds, and form parties without instance transitions.

However, the massive World vs. World PvP of Guild Wars 2 will not be replicated. Johanson described Guild Wars 3 as a “Meaningfully Multiplayer MMO,” positioned between the smaller-scale, instanced feel of Guild Wars 1 and the massive open-world scale of Guild Wars 2. The focus is on creating meaningful cooperative experiences where player actions directly benefit one another.

On inspiration, Johanson stated that the team does not directly copy features from other games. Instead, they analyze the entire MMORPG genre to identify unresolved problems. For Guild Wars 3, a key question was why MMORPG combat feels rigid and why movement cannot be more fluid. The team spent years experimenting to create a system that addresses these issues.

The decision to create a new game now was driven by both accumulated ideas that could not be implemented in Guild Wars 2 and market conditions. Johanson noted that the Western market has seen few new MMORPGs in the last decade, and players are actively seeking new, innovative experiences. The team aims to shake up the genre with bold ideas, even if some fail, and hopes to inspire other developers.

Guild Wars 3 is currently in early alpha. ArenaNet plans to reveal more about mounts, progression, professions, and the full skill system in the future.