If you want to get absolutely technical about it, Classic Guild Wars doesn’t officially turn 16 years old until Monday. But if we waited until Monday to remind you, you’d miss this weekend of festivities because ArenaNet has already turned them on and the party has already started its annual rollout in Shing Jea Monastery.
“Another year has passed and we’re ready to celebrate the enduring legacy of Guild Wars. It’s time once again to throw open the Shing Jea Boardwalk, rev up the Rollerbeetles, and don our party hats for a week of festive fun lasting from 12:00 p.m. Pacific (UTC -7) on April 22 to 12:00 p.m on May 6. This anniversary party is packed with a number of great rewards, gifts, and activities!”
Both the official site and (to a greater extent) the official wiki offer run-downs of what to expect if you’re thinking about dropping by. But unless something has changed dramatically, you’ll be doing the usual co-op missions, unlocking your hound, rollerbeetle racing, farming booze and sweets, and soaking up the fireworks at the boardwalk.
Happy birthday to one of the greatest MMOs – yeah I said it – ever. (Hey Anet, I’d love to take my kids through this game at some point, but $40 a pop for a 16-year-old maintenance mode game is kinda steep when you gotta buy two more, and that’s before you even consider stuff like the BMP or storage upgrades or cosmetics or or mercs or character slots and on and on. I bet I’m not alone! Consider doing a sale on the bundle, will ya? Maybe in the lead-up to End of Dragons?)