21 years after release, Guild Wars 1 just got an 'Ironman' mode inspired by a venerable community-driven challenge

Guild Wars screen - dude in a mask holding a sword over his head like he's He-Man in fancy dress or something — (Image credit: ArenaNet)

Guild Wars might look indistinct among the many MMOs that arrived in the wake of World of Warcraft's genre-defining heyday, but it has relatively little in common with WoW or even EverQuest, the Iron Age big dog in the massively multiplayer space. It's a unique blend of deckbuilding and ARPG-esque adventuring where you can team up with other players in town hubs across different campaigns—a setup so unique it's still drawing a crowd over two decades, a very different sequel, and a big modernization update later.

It's not an easy game. But, the question always goes, how can I make this harder on myself? An update arrived Jan. 28 with the answer: Melandru's Accord. "Inspired by the community-driven Ironman challenge," the new game mode will require that players earn all their skills and items without the relief of player trading or mercenaries (special NPC helpers that copy character builds and gear).

It's another reason to play the original Guild Wars, which is worth considering whether you have fondness for old-school MMOs or not. There's still not much like it, especially given its absorbing setting and excellent multi-classing system that rewards tinkering and experimentation. And hey, if you decide to go in blind with Melandru's Accord ticked on, you can, as the patch notes declare, "be awesome."

Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's probably birdwatching or daydreaming about a glorious comeback for real-time with pause combat. Any day now...

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