Welcome to Guild Wars 2 week

This Saturday pre-purchasers will have the chance to dive into a game we've been waiting for since Gamescom 2009, an MMO that's consistently promised to alter our assumptions of what an MMO should be. From what we've seen of the beta, Guild Wars 2 isn't seeking to reinvent the MMO, but to evolve it. "If you love MMORPGs, you should check out Guild Wars 2. But if you hate traditional MMORPGs, then you should really check out Guild Wars 2," they say .

We'll decide for ourselves next week when we kick off our review in progress. Like any MMO, there's a lot to see, test and experience, and you'll be able to join our reviewer as they explore the world, documenting their impressions as they go. Until then we have a week of features for you, fuelled by interviews and footage recorded during our recent visits to Arenanet. We've invaded high level dungeons, quizzed Guild Wars 2 writers on the art of MMO storytelling, explored the upper limits of Guild Wars 2's skill systems, taken an in-depth look at Guild Wars 2's PvP maps and more.

If you'll definitely be playing and would like to join us, there will be PC Gamer guilds for Europe and the US. Later this week we'll announce the servers we'll call home. Server transfers will be free for a short time after launch, so if you're unlucky enough to find yourself stranded on Yak's Bend, you should be able to switch over easily. Meanwhile, drop by our forums to say hello, or check out our lovely community-made PCGGW.com page

But that's all to come. Let's kick off with Guild Wars 2 lore and continuity designer Ree Soesbee's thoughts on MMO storytelling , and 12 minutes of footage from the level 50 Twilight Arbor dungeon . As always, let us know what you think in the comments.

Here are all the features that have made up Guild Wars 2 week so far.

Guild Wars 2 writer on MMO storytelling and “sneakily getting the player to tell us what kind of game they want”
Guild Wars 2 video exclusive : 12 minutes of the level 50 Twilight Arbor dungeon
Guild Wars 2 PvP designer talks e-sports, spectator mode and streaming
Guild Wars 2 PvP guide : getting started on the road to victory
Guild Wars 2 lore designers on rebuilding the world , and why they keep blowing up cities
Guild Wars 2 systems designer talks skill design, depth and balancing
Guild Wars 2 community update: play with us !

Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.