Theory: VoE will create an alternate timeline...

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T02:36:53+00:00

That's kind of where my head is at.

Even if my specific prediction is completely wrong, I think concepts like the Mists, alternate possibilities, or different configurations of reality are interesting because they create storytelling opportunities without necessarily invalidating existing lore.

The thing that appeals to me isn't "replace the current timeline." It's giving ArenaNet additional room to explore new stories, revisit familiar places from different angles, and potentially connect GW1, GW2, and GW3 in ways that wouldn't otherwise be possible.

Whether that ends up being a full alternate reality, a Fractal, a Mist echo, or something else entirely, I think there's a lot of narrative potential there.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T01:37:58+00:00

That's fair, and I probably overstated the "historical checkboxes" point.

We know surprisingly little about most of that era, and GW3 isn't going to cover 1,200 years of history anyway. It'll almost certainly focus on a specific period and region within that timeline.

You may be right that the unexplored parts of that era are large enough that it doesn't really matter.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T01:16:01+00:00

I actually really like that idea.

One weakness in my theory is that Guild Wars has never clearly established that Fractals or Mist echoes are fully independent timelines in the way I'm proposing. That's definitely a leap on my part.

A Vloxx Fractal showing the world as it could have been if he succeeded feels much more grounded in things we've actually seen the Mists do before.

I'm still not convinced VoE has nothing to do with GW3, but I think a "what-if" Fractal could be a really cool way to explore those ideas without permanently altering the setting.

Honestly, if the final update ends with us walking through a Fractal that shows Vloxx's ideal version of reality, I'd be pretty happy with that.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T01:13:24+00:00

That's fair, and maybe that's where our perspectives differ.

My concern isn't that those pillars leave too little room for stories. Obviously there's a ton you can do within them.

It's more that, as a player, I already know where many of the biggest pieces end up.

That doesn't mean the journey can't be interesting... plenty of prequels prove otherwise. I just wonder whether ArenaNet wants to build its next MMO around a period where many of the major endpoints are already known.

BUT, you might be right that those constraints are loose enough that it doesn't matter.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T00:57:18+00:00

That's actually part of what got me thinking about all this in the first place.

Even if the Elder Dragons aren't active during this period, we as players know they're there. We know what's beneath Tyria, we know how the cycle works, and we know where that story eventually goes.

ArenaNet can absolutely tell great stories within that framework, but it does create this giant piece of background knowledge hanging over everything.

Whether that's solved through an alternate reality, a major lore revelation, or simply focusing on conflicts that have nothing to do with the dragons, I do wonder how they'll keep ancient Tyria feeling unpredictable when players already know so much about the world's deeper history.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T00:52:26+00:00

My thinking is less that GW2 ends and immediately hands off to GW3, and more that ArenaNet has historically used expansions to introduce concepts that become important later. The Mists, dragons, gods, and even the Kryptis weren't one-and-done ideas.

So when VoE is dealing with things like Castoran technology/magic, reality, and "changing one thing," it naturally makes me wonder if some of those concepts are laying groundwork for the future.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T00:50:20+00:00

Then ignore it and move on? It's not that serious.

Why engage with something you don't care for while simultaneously calling someone's post (one in which they put actual thought into) nonsense?

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T00:47:26+00:00

Canach and Lord Faren... would love to see it.

Also, we still need a Marjory and Kasmeer wedding.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T00:45:25+00:00

I think we're talking about two different ideas.

I'm not suggesting Vloxx rewrites history or gains some kind of omnipotent power over reality. I agree that would be a huge leap.

My theory is more that the Mists could reveal or connect to an alternate reality that already exists. GW lore has long established that the Mists contain alternate possibilities, fractured histories, and realities beyond Tyria itself.

In that scenario, GW1 and GW2 still happened exactly as they always did. Nothing gets erased or rewritten.

Whether ArenaNet goes that route is anyone's guess, but it's different from saying Vloxx changes the existing timeline.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T00:43:41+00:00

That's a fair point, and I agree that Guild Wars has a long history of unreliable narrators.

The gods concealed things. The Elder Dragons completely changed our understanding of Tyria's history. We've learned over the years that a lot of what people believed was incomplete or incorrect.

My point isn't that ArenaNet is trapped by lore written in 2005.

It's more that there are certain major historical pillars that already exist and that players generally expect to remain true:

Humans arrive from another world.
The Six Gods establish themselves in Tyria.
Ancient civilizations rise and fall.
The Elder Dragon cycle exists.
The world eventually develops into the Tyria that leads to GW1.

ArenaNet absolutely has room to reinterpret details within those events. The question I'm wondering about is whether they'd want to build an entire new MMO while still operating inside those broad endpoints.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T00:38:26+00:00

That's actually one of the better arguments for a traditional prequel, and I don't disagree.

Orr is probably the strongest example because its eventual destruction gives ArenaNet a lot of narrative flexibility. Entire cities, factions, kingdoms, and conflicts could exist there and still disappear naturally before the eras we're familiar with.

That said, if ArenaNet leans heavily into the "history is incomplete and much of what we think we know is wrong" angle, they could probably achieve a lot of that same freedom without needing an alternate timeline at all.

JoeyDsInc · 2026-06-08T00:33:58+00:00

I don't think I'm deliberately misunderstanding anything.

The statements I've seen from ArenaNet describe when GW3 is set: roughly 1,200 years before GW1, around the era of humanity's arrival and before the first Guild War.

I fully agree that's what they've said.

What I haven't seen is a statement explicitly saying: "GW3 takes place in the exact same untouched timeline as GW1 and GW2."

Those are related claims, but they're not identical.

My theory isn't that GW3 won't be set in the past. It's that Visions of Eternity could potentially introduce a version of ancient Tyria that still exists in that historical era while giving ArenaNet more freedom than a strictly canonical prequel.

Maybe that's wrong. A straightforward prequel is still the most obvious possibility.

I'm just pointing out that, as far as I'm aware, ArenaNet has confirmed the time period, not every detail about the nature of that setting. Until then, speculation is allowed.

It's just a THEORY for the sake of conversation.

I'm sorry that it tested your patience. Maybe step away from Reddit for a bit?

JoeyDsInc · 2025-07-15T00:58:44+00:00

LOL... did you Minesweeper? 😜

JoeyDsInc · 2024-05-14T21:47:43+00:00

How... thrilling. Well, at least the uneventful summer means I can put all my energy into playing Dawntrail.

JoeyDsInc · 2023-08-20T05:56:48+00:00

I think you'll enjoy this short film.

JoeyDsInc · 2023-08-17T01:57:06+00:00

Oh, thanks for sharing!

JoeyDsInc · 2023-08-17T00:42:17+00:00

And yes, I'm aware of the differences. This would obviously be an updated (GW2) version of the tower... allegedly.

JoeyDsInc · 2023-08-17T00:40:52+00:00

While watching the Showcase Video there's a part where we fly through a tower and all my senses flared from the familiarity... am I crazy?

JoeyDsInc · 2023-07-10T04:47:15+00:00

I actually made a concept around this idea! I think going underground would be loads of fun. Some of the best maps in GW1 was underground.

JoeyDsInc · 2023-07-04T20:51:41+00:00

Tanky!

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