Guild Wars Afterlife: Release Date, Price and Dungeon Explained

ArenaNet has announced Guild Wars Afterlife, the first new premium DLC for the original Guild Wars in almost 20 years. It launches on January 13, 2027 on PC, Steam, the Apple App Store and Google Play, and it is a very different kind of expansion from the ones you remember.

Quick summary

• Release date: January 13, 2027
• Price: $29.99 / €29.99 at launch; $23.99 / €23.99 pre-purchase (varies by platform and region)
• Platforms: PC, Steam, iOS, Android
• Requirement: you need Guild Wars Reforged to play
• Pre-order bonus: Vestments of the Order costume

What is Guild Wars Afterlife?

Afterlife sends you to Xotecha, an isle deep within the Mists. There you join the Order of the Moonless Night, who watch over a place called the Unformed, a jungle of shared dreams where memory becomes real. The Order guides wayward spirits toward peace. Spirits that linger in anguish too long can turn into Nightmares, creatures of pure rage.

The story hook is that huge numbers of lost souls have flooded the Unformed, a mysterious cult has started meddling with the afterlife, and one of the Order's elders is missing. You are asked to help before the Order is overrun. ArenaNet developed it with co-development studio 2weeks, the partner behind Guild Wars Reforged.

How does the Unformed dungeon work?

The Unformed is an ever-changing dungeon. Per ArenaNet, no two runs are the same: after you pick a starting loadout, you face a different lineup of maps, encounters and bosses each time. Expect jungles, cenotes and floating ruins, plus ancient golems and powerful Nightmares. The story of Afterlife also unfolds a little more with each run.

This makes it closer to a repeatable, run-based mode than a traditional campaign, which suits players who like replayability. You can run it with friends or with henchmen if you prefer to go solo.

What is skill drafting?

The headline mechanic is skill-drafting combat. As you progress through a run you choose new abilities, and the offers are not limited to your primary and secondary professions. That means you can build a skill bar unique to each run using abilities from any profession, something the classic two-profession system never allowed.

What rewards do you get?

Completing runs unlocks two kinds of rewards. Some affect your future dungeon runs, and others are permanent rewards you can use outside Xotecha. Your existing characters take part, so you do not need to start over.

How much does it cost and what do you need?

ArenaNet notes that the actual discounted price can vary by platform and location, and a later staff update said the iOS pre-purchase was not live yet. We have not seen a confirmed India rupee price, so check your local store before buying. If you are tracking other launches, our launch calendar and deals page are updated often.

Is it worth pre-ordering?

The pre-order saves about $6 and adds a cosmetic, but there is no reason to rush: the game is not out until January 13, 2027, and the DLC is not a limited run. If you already play Reforged and want fresh content, it looks like a low-risk $24. If you do not own Reforged, factor that cost in. For another dated release this winter, see our post on God of War Laufey's new date.

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