In preparation for the launch of the upcoming expansion Heart of Thorns on the 23rd October, the core game content of Guild Wars 2 has been released for free so that anyone interested in jumping in to the world of Tyria can give it a shot.

Guild Wars 2 is a fantasy MMORPG set in the world of Tyria. One of the stand-out features of Guild Wars 2 is that their content has always been released on a “buy once, play forever” policy – so there is no monthly subscription required to keep playing.

ArenaNet have decided to release the content from the core game for free and promise that this isn’t the first step into a world fuelled by micro-transactions. As described in the official ArenaNet announcement, the idea behind this move is to allow new players to try out the core game – so that they will want to stick around and purchase future expansions as they are released…

If anyone can play Guild Wars 2 for free now, does that mean we’re switching business models to free-to-play? Are we going to be one of those games that aggressively monetizes free players through microtransactions? Absolutely not. Guild Wars 2 remains the same game it always has been. We’re making the core game experience free because we’re confident that anyone who loves Guild Wars 2 will buy Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns.

Free accounts will have some restrictions over paid accounts (fewer character slots, and some restrictions on engaging with global chat rooms), but players will be able to access all of the main game content without spending a dime. Ultimately, if players then choose to upgrade with the Heart of Thorns expansion, they will receive all of the benefits of a paid account, even when playing the base game.

You can read more about the details of this move here and if you’re interested in checking out the game, head over to the download page.