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ArenaNet Details Guild Wars 3 Momentum Mechanics

ArenaNet studio head Colin Johanson has detailed the momentum mechanics planned for Guild Wars 3 during a presentation at Gamescom. The upcoming action-adventure online role-playing game aims to eliminate abrupt stops between exploration and combat. Johanson described the feature as a first for the genre, promising seamless continuity when players transition between distinct actions. Under the new design, characters maintain physical speed across activities such as riding mounts, gliding, diving, flying, and wall-running. Momentum directly shapes combat encounters, allowing velocity to enhance attack strength and area-of-effect radius. For instance, a warrior descending rapidly from above or leaping from a wall will inflict greater damage while knocking foes into environmental obstacles to stun them. Environmental awareness will play a key role during battles, requiring players to leverage surroundings to maximise tactical control. While ArenaNet has not finalized an official release date, the studio plans to launch a beta test in autumn 2027. Guild Wars 3 is currently in development for personal computers and the PlayStation 5 console.

· TechRadar

The essential points

  1. 01ArenaNet revealed a new momentum system for Guild Wars 3 to seamlessly connect traversal mechanics with real-time combat abilities.
  2. 02Players can glide, fly, and run along walls without losing speed, carrying their forward velocity directly into active skirmishes.
  3. 03Attack strength and blast radii scale dynamically according to a character's downward momentum and movement speed during combat.
  4. 04Guild Wars 3 is in development for PC and PlayStation 5, with a public beta scheduled for autumn 2027.
The full brief

ArenaNet studio head Colin Johanson has detailed the momentum mechanics planned for Guild Wars 3 during a presentation at Gamescom. The upcoming action-adventure online role-playing game aims to eliminate abrupt stops between exploration and combat. Johanson described the feature as a first for the genre, promising seamless continuity when players transition between distinct actions.

Under the new design, characters maintain physical speed across activities such as riding mounts, gliding, diving, flying, and wall-running. Momentum directly shapes combat encounters, allowing velocity to enhance attack strength and area-of-effect radius. For instance, a warrior descending rapidly from above or leaping from a wall will inflict greater damage while knocking foes into environmental obstacles to stun them.

Environmental awareness will play a key role during battles, requiring players to leverage surroundings to maximise tactical control. While ArenaNet has not finalized an official release date, the studio plans to launch a beta test in autumn 2027. Guild Wars 3 is currently in development for personal computers and the PlayStation 5 console.