Speaking with Guild Wars 2 developer ArenaNet for the first time since the lay-offs

Guild Wars Factions®

Two hundred years ago, the Betrayer called Shiro Tagachi transformed the lush continent of Cantha into a devastated landscape of stone forests and crystalline seas. Now, in an empire torn asunder by war, who you fight is as important as who you serve.

It's been a torrid time for Guild Wars 2 maker ArenaNet. At the end of February, the studio cut a third of its workforce and people who had worked there for more than a decade walked away.

NCSoft-on-high reportedly said revenues were falling and the business was not sustainable, and for the first time, Guild Wars 2 - and ArenaNet - looked vulnerable. In one fell stroke, two unannounced projects and 143 staff were gone.

A cloud of concern lingered. Was Guild Wars 2 in decline? And if two unannounced projects had been cancelled, what would follow it?

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