Guild Wars 2 officially launches today after ‘record-breaking’ Headstart program

With more than one million players already playing Guild Wars 2 thanks to the pre-purchase Headstart program, millions more will gain access to ArenaNet's hugely-popular MMO.

Today marks the official launch of the game, which technically went live on Saturday. In a press statement today, ArenaNet revealed "demand for the game during this Headstart has been record-breaking, with a peak concurrency of more than 400,000 players online at once."

"Whether it’s because of the vast and dynamic world that changes based on player actions, the engaging, customizable personal storyline, or the visceral, highly-mobile action, it’s clear that online gamers are eager for Guild Wars 2," it continued.

“This is the culmination of a five-year journey and to be greeted by this level of enthusiasm by our fans is truly amazing”, added ArenaNet president and co-founder Mike O’Brien. “But really our work is just beginning. Now our focus is shifting to building on this living world we’ve delivered, continuously refining our game and improving services to ensure our players have the best possible experience."

For players that didn't hop on the bandwagon earlier, it's not too late. You can purchase Guild Wars 2 directly from the game's official site or other retail partners. Remember, it's a subscription-free MMO so after the initial payment you can enjoy the game for months with no extra payments.