- Games
- Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2
An online fantasy role-playing game where friends explore Tyria, fight shared events and tackle cooperative dungeons.
Online co-op.
- Online
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-opYesPlayer count not confirmed
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- Not confirmedFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- Not confirmedA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckPlayableValve's own rating
About the game
You create a character and explore Tyria, a fantasy world of rival peoples, dangerous creatures and old secrets. Events appear as you travel, giving you enemies to fight and local problems to help solve. Discovering places, completing story chapters and learning new skills all contribute to your character's progress.
Friends can form a party for five-player dungeons and Fractals of the Mists, where you fight through private encounters together. These give a small group shared challenges beyond simply exploring the same map. You dodge attacks, revive fallen allies and choose skills that help the team. The core game is free, while expansions add further areas and activities, including larger group encounters. There is time for wandering and conversation between demanding fights, so your group can mix exploration with more focused sessions.
How it feels
Kind of game
You play on the same side through shared levels, matches, missions or jobs. Progress comes from combining your actions toward the same objective.
- At its heart
- A big part
- Now and then
- Laughter and chaos
- Jumping and climbing
- Building and creating
- Puzzles and figuring out
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- About
- Fantasy adventure
Rated on our own feel scale. 6 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Guild Wars 2
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
Why it scores 92%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Fantasy adventure
- Notable in both
- Story, Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Working in sync, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting
- Core to both
- Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 72 online
- Crossplay
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both are about a fantasy adventure. Both have a story you follow together.
No big difference from Guild Wars 2.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Why it scores 92%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Fantasy adventure
- Notable in both
- Story, Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Working in sync, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting
- Core to both
- Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 12 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both have long calm stretches. Both are about a fantasy adventure.
No big difference from Guild Wars 2.
No Rest for the Wicked
Why it scores 83%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Fantasy adventure
- Notable in both
- Time to hang out, Working in sync, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting
- Core to both
- Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How No Rest for the Wicked differs
- Scarier than Guild Wars 2
- Early access
- 4 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both are easy to play while you chat. Both have upgrades that carry over.
But scarier than Guild Wars 2.
All co-op facts
Last checked 24 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Most players online
- Not confirmed
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Local co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Not confirmed
- Split or shared screen
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- Yes
Core and Season 1 have free account restrictions. The public Battle can include other participants. Its capacity does not promise a private group can complete it. Janthir Convergences require paid content. Smaller dungeon groups and the overall ceiling are not confirmed.
- 11
- Confirmed free setups
- Free core dungeons. PC. Online for 5 players. Battle for Lion's Arch. PC. Online. Group sizes not confirmed. Public encounter up to 50, with other participants.
- 14111213141516171819
- Crossplay
- Not confirmed
- Crossplay between
- Not confirmed
- Friends can join mid-game
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
19 pages
guildwars2.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Kind of game, Working in sync, Planning ahead, Confirmed free setups.
- Online co-op: Private dungeons and Fractals of the Mists support cooperative teams of five. Raids support ten.
- Kind of game: Groups fight through shared private dungeon objectives and cooperate against bosses.
- Working in sync: The maker describes positioning, dodging and supporting teammates in group encounters.
- Planning ahead: Profession knowledge and build customization shape how players support the group.
- Confirmed free setups: Private dungeons and Fractals use teams of five. Its Heart of Thorns raids use ten. It does not label all these activity types free.
guildwars2.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Sessions, About.
- Sessions: The current game offers a continuing online world with story and repeated activities.
- About: Tyria contains magical professions, dragons and fantasy peoples.
guildwars2.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Release date.
- Release date: ArenaNet explicitly dates the full launch to August 28, 2012. August 25 was a purchase head start. Steam lists its later 2022 storefront release.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Release status, Genres, Confirmed free setups.
- Release status: The current base game is available to play.
- Genres: ArenaNet calls the game an online role-playing game.
- Confirmed free setups: Free base offer and native online co-op. Windows requirement. Season 1 and 2 free with core access. Janthir Wilds is a separate paid expansion. No subscription fee required.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Platforms.
- Steam app ID: Steam identifies Guild Wars 2 as app 1284210.
- Platforms: The current Steam build supports Windows.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Playable on Steam Deck.
pcgamer.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Laughter and chaos, Tension and danger, Exploring, Jumping and climbing, Building and creating, Puzzles and figuring out, Getting better, Unlocks and progress.
- Laughter and chaos: PC Gamer's November 2012 review, republished in 2026, describes occasional comic knockbacks and improvised recoveries.
- Tension and danger: Dungeon mistakes and enemy attacks put regular pressure on a group.
- Exploring: Following events, vistas and hidden places forms a central part of play.
- Jumping and climbing: Optional jumping courses interrupt ordinary travel and combat.
- Building and creating: Crafting provides equipment and experience as an optional progression route.
- Puzzles and figuring out: Hidden routes include a magic maze, traps and jumping puzzles.
- Getting better: The reviewer describes learning active dodging and encounter behaviour over repeated attempts.
- Unlocks and progress: Character levels and unlocks come from exploration, events, crafting and story.
cgmagonline.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Story, Fighting, Working in sync.
- Story: CGMagazine, September 11, 2012. Character backgrounds lead to branching personal stories and a continuing dragon conflict.
- Fighting: The review describes regular real-time battles with movement, dodging and skill combinations.
- Working in sync: Dungeons require grouping and skill combinations can support organized play.
steamcommunity.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Calm and coziness.
- Calm and coziness: The first inspected helpful review, dated December 8, 2025, describes exploring and progressing at your own pace between combat activities.
steamcommunity.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Time to hang out.
- Time to hang out: An inspected October 23, 2026 review describes friends casually roaming towns between map objectives and fights. Quiet shared stretches support conversation.
help.guildwars2.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups, Free base co-op.
- Confirmed free setups: Entire core free with Central Tyria access, level restrictions and Seasons 1 and 2 listed. LFG and squad chat unlock at level 30. The table generally excludes raids.
- Free base co-op: Core and Season 1 have free account restrictions. The public Battle can include other participants. Its capacity does not promise a private group can complete it. Janthir Convergences require paid content. Smaller dungeon groups and the overall ceiling are not confirmed.
help.guildwars2.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups.
- Confirmed free setups: Windows 64-bit for Steam. Steam and ArenaNet website accounts play the identical game on shared servers, with separate account logins and matching restrictions.
help.guildwars2.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups.
- Confirmed free setups: Current supported requirements name Windows 64-bit and broadband. The table is headed for the latest expansion, so the Steam FAQ is the more direct free Steam platform source.
welcome.guildwars2.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups.
- Confirmed free setups: Maker offers free play without a subscription, a full personal story and multiplayer instances. Does not itself state their exact team sizes.
guildwars2.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups.
- Confirmed free setups: Open-world players can support each other without forming a group. This supplies no finite PvE cap.
guildwars2.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups.
- Confirmed free setups: Permanent free Season 1 return. Battle for Lion's Arch is repeatable, publicly joinable and supports up to fifty. Private squad route is also named. No story-progress prerequisite for the public instance.
about.ncsoft.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups.
- Confirmed free setups: Publisher's November 9, 2022 release announcement independently joins free access for everyone and Battle for Lion's Arch for up to fifty. It is a shipped-content corroboration of the prior announcement.
guildwars2.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups.
- Confirmed free setups: Godspawn is unlocked for Janthir Wilds owners and contains a fifty-person Convergence plus ten-person raid. Its fifty-person scope is expansion content.
guildwars2.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Confirmed free setups.
- Confirmed free setups: Independently describes Janthir's fifty-player Convergence and ten-player raid formats. Purchase editions are separate from core.