12, 2020, when the developers confirmed the games return to the realm of Cantha, something fans had long requested. The official announcement was accompanied by a cinematic teaser showing off the new area the game would feature. A developer livestream was held on July 27, 2021, which showcased prominent features like the addition of fishing to the game. The expansion was released February 28, 2022. Controversies On July 5, 2018, founder Mike O'Brien announced that two game developers, Jessica Price and Peter Fries, had been fired from the company for "[failing] to uphold [their] standards of communicating with players" by attacking community members on Twitter. The decision to fire the developers led to a mixed reaction from fans and others inside the industry. O'Brien stood by the decision to release the two developers, citing that their actions had occurred when they were representing themselves and their opinions as the opinions of the company, and that alienating customers was unacceptable, thus necessitating termination of their employment, though he considered the firing to be 'regrettable' due to the fact that both had made favorable contributions to the company. Nathan Grayson, for Kotaku, and Megan Farokhmanesh, for The Verge, reported that there was an uptick in online harassment of female developers after Price's firing and that backlash to Price originated in Gamergate forums. Farokhmanesh wrote that "ArenaNet’s swift action to fire both Price and Fries sends a disturbing message to its fans, and especially its most toxic ones: that their power is directly correlated to how loud they yell. It’s a worrying precedent for anyone interested in working for ArenaNet, but especially those in marginalized communities that are more likely to face blowback and harassment from the worst parts of its fanbase". Both PC Gamer and Polygon included this event on their respective 2018 gaming controversies lists. References External links American subsidiaries of foreign companies Companies based in Bellevue, Washington Guild Wars Video game companies of the United States Video game development companies NCSoft American companies established in 2000 Video game companies established in 2000 2002 mergers and acquisitions