The journey to reveal each playable species in Guild Wars 3 continues, and now is the turn of the small but resourceful Asura, who have a special relationship with magic.
With over 20 years of lore to explore, Guild Wars 3 keeps surprising with each new blog post on its playable species. As this third entry breaks away from current events in the world of Tyria by being set one thousand years in the past, so is every species different from what players know about. As senior narrative designer Liz Baker explains in ArenaNet’s latest blog, the diminutive scholars known as the Asura looked and acted quite distinctly in that era.
In Guild Wars: Eye of the North, the asura emerged after an extended period of exclusively subterranean living. Their appearance was shaped by the Depths of Tyria: no fur, not much height, large eyes, and pointed teeth. But in the present of Guild Wars 3, Asuran society has a more balanced relationship with the surface. While still yearning for the mines, the Asura do venture above ground for a variety of reasons, including business, pleasure, and curiosity.
This means the average asura in the land of Orr will be of a different stripe than their evolved descendants, figuratively and literally. Rougher around the edges, a little taller (though still not eye level with humans), and a hair furrier. On the inside, however, they still resemble the inquisitive minds players have come to know.
Orr Is Full Of Magic
In the historical side of the things, the story goes that Zouelle and her granddaughter Niommi felt the call to Orr long before anyone in their clan did. Later known as the Trailblazer, Niommi embarked on an expedition dubbed the Rata Pten Expeditionary Krewe, called on by the promise of endless magic. Honoring the legacy of her grandmother, so did they arrive to where Guild Wars 3 is set.
In this fertile but conflictive era, the descendants from Rata Pten roam the grounds that players will surely walk and learn about their troubled relationship with the Vaelwardens. The blog ends teasing the reveal of its fourth playable species and much more lore details as we near the game’s launch.
Guild Wars 3 is planning to launch a beta in Fall 2027. It is releasing for PC via Steam and PlayStation 5 and wishlists are open here.
