Guild Wars Reforged: The Best Reason to Return to Guild Wars 1

Image: ArenaNet

I am late to this review, and I have no defence. Well, I do have one defence, actually. I have been too busy playing Guild Wars Reforged to write about Guild Wars Reforged.

I have been playing Guild Wars since about 2006, which means I have characters on my account old enough to legally order a pint in the UK. I have done the long breaks, the nostalgic log-ins, the “I will just check my builds” sessions that turn into a full evening. Reforged is the first time in a long while where the game has felt properly inviting again, not because it has turned into something new, but because it finally feels comfortable on modern screens and modern kit.

So what is Guild Wars:Reforged? Importantly, it is not a brand-new expansion with a fresh continent. It is a modernisation pass, launched 3 December 2025, built to make the original Guild Wars nicer to play on modern hardware while keeping the core game intact. It is still Guild Wars, just modernised, with a cleaner client, better UI, better compatibility, and a few opt-in challenge modes for people who like to suffer on purpose.

“It is a modernisation pass…built to make the original Guild Wars nicer to play”

The practical stuff is the real win. The UI changes sound dull on paper, but you feel them straight away. The skill icons are HD, the text is easier to read, and the whole layout makes more sense on high DPI displays. It is the sort of update that makes you stop squinting and start playing.

The same goes for quest tracking and directions. Classic Guild Wars has always had that early-2000s energy where the game trusts you to work it out. I like that, but it also means returning after a long break can feel like you have been dropped into the middle of your old unfinished homework. Reforged smooths that out with a new quest tracking and direction system, plus an on-screen control guide, which helps a lot when you are coming back cold.

Then there is the hardware angle. Reforged supports XInput controllers, and it is positioned as Steam Deck Verified on the official page.  I am still a mouse and keyboard person for anything fiddly, but the fact it works at all, and works without feeling like a bodge, matters. It changes when and where you play. Guild Wars used to be a “sit down at the PC” game. Reforged turns it into a “yeah, I will do a couple of missions on the sofa” game, which is dangerous for someone like me.

“It does not try to make Guild Wars look like a modern MMO, and I am glad for that. It just makes the world feel less flat”

The visual and audio side is similar. You get rendering upgrades like ambient occlusion, bloom, antialiasing enhancements, and a rebuilt audio system with environmental effects.  It does not try to make Guild Wars look like a modern MMO, and I am glad for that. It just makes the world feel less flat, and it gives the game a bit more presence without messing with the art style you actually remember.

One thing that is worth being clear about is what you are buying, and what you are not. The Reforged purchase includes the three main campaigns, Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall.

Meanwhile Eye of the North and the Bonus Mission Pack are still separate purchases. If you already own Guild Wars, the client upgrade is part of the deal, and your characters and progress carry over.  This is not a reset, and it does not wipe your history. It keeps your character museum intact, it just puts better lighting in it.

“Reforged added opt-in modes that make you want to roll new characters.”

Now for the part that has eaten most of my time. Reforged added opt-in modes that make you want to roll new characters. Reforged Mode is an Alpha-style opt-in at character creation, with an in-game badge, and it started with changes aimed at pre-Searing and early Prophecies, including a small boost to experience and gold in Prophecies.  Dhuum’s Covenant is a Beta-style opt-in that is basically “do not die”. Ever. It is available throughout the game, and your character wears that badge with honour, until you die that is, whereupon you lose the badge and Dhuum himself actually comes up takes you out for breaking your covenant.

Then, in late January 2026, ArenaNet added Melandru’s Accord, which leans into the community Ironman mindset, with restrictions that push you away from trading, storage and account help.

“Yes, I bought two extra character slots purely so I could have dedicated space for Dhuum’s Covenant, Melandru’s Accord, and Reforged Mode”

That combination is catnip for long-time players, and I am not immune. I liked the idea of having clean runs for each mode, without deleting old characters or doing the usual “which one can I sacrifice” maths. So yes, I bought two extra character slots purely so I could have dedicated space for Dhuum’s Covenant, Melandru’s Accord, and Reforged Mode attempts without turning my character select into a crime scene.

The whole point is commitment. You cannot really judge Dhuum’s Covenant from a quick poke around Ascalon. The whole appeal is the slow burn tension, the way a bad pull or a sloppy moment actually matters again. Melandru’s Accord is the same. It changes how you think about loot, progression, and planning, because you cannot lean on the usual shortcuts.

This is also where my whole GameReport thing comes in. I do not love drive-by opinions. I do not enjoy that modern review rhythm where someone rushes to get a verdict out after a short stint in order to land in Google Discover and be first past the post and calls it a day. I would rather be late and have something useful to say, because I have actually played it as a real player would, I have built around it, and I have seen what it does to the routine of play.

Reforged improvements show up after the honeymoon. The UI does not just look cleaner, it reduces the faff every single session. The new quest tracking helps you stay focused. Controller support does not just exist, it makes Guild Wars easier to fit into real life, and works amazing in my ROG Ally on the sofa. The opt-in modes do not just give you a badge, they give veterans a reason to care about the early game again, which is not easy to pull off in a twenty-year-old MMO.

If there is a downside, it is simple. If you are looking for a new campaign or a new story chapter, that is not what this is. The core experience is still the same classic game, and the core gameplay remains intact by design.  The value here is in comfort, readability, and replay pull, not in brand-new content.

For me, as someone who has been here since 2006, Reforged is the best kind of update. It respects the original, it trims the friction, and it gives me an excuse to make new characters when I already have characters old enough to drink.

The “DLC” is still being worked on at time of writing (feb 2026) and most modes are in Alpha and Beta, but for what it is, who its made for and for how old Guild Wars is, I give it an 8/10, it’s driven more new players to the game and more returning veterans and the hubs look the most lively i’ve seen them in 10 years.