Look, let's be honest: in an era of endless microtransactions, ArenaNet, the NC subsidiary currently crafting the MMORPG 'Guild Wars 3', has finally dropped some details on its business model. They are planning to ditch the tiresome battle passes and monthly subscriptions in favour of a one-time package purchase that unlocks the entire experience.

Colin Johanson, the studio head at ArenaNet, confirmed this during a live interview with IGN. Rather than shackling players to a constant stream of payments or forcing them into specific loops to consume content, the team is focusing on a 'buy-once-play-forever' philosophy where the core content remains entirely yours from the start.

It is a strategy that ArenaNet has famously championed in the past. While Guild Wars 2 eventually pivoted to a free-to-play model for its base game, major expansions remained behind a paywall. Guild Wars 3 looks to honour this tradition, cutting out the intrusive Monetization to ensure the focus stays squarely on the game’s inherent design.

Furthermore, ArenaNet has promised that support for its predecessors won't be vanishing into the ether. While the release of new expansions for the second title will pause as we build up to the launch of Guild Wars 3, the team confirmed that ongoing maintenance of existing content will continue, with expansion development picking back up after the third instalment hits the shelves.