Guild Wars 2 due in 2012, beta in March

Gamers eager to leap into ArenaNet's fantasy massively multiplayer online game Guild Wars 2 have been waiting for a while to do so. The game was first announced in 2007 and at one time was planned for a 2011 release. Today, the developer offered a new release window for the game, saying Guild Wars 2 will arrive in 2012.

In a new post on the ArenaNet blog, company founder and president Mike O'Brien said, "It's been an incredible adventure over the past five years…this year, the seeds of that work come to fruition."

According to O'Brien, ArenaNet will begin to invite gamers to a beta for the game beginning in March and will expand the trial phase to a wider audience in April.

Guild Wars 2 puts players into a persistent fantasy world that is driven by a range of dynamic events. When Guild Wars 2 launches later this year it will cost a fee up front but will not require a monthly paid subscription to continue playing.

For more on Guild Wars 2, check out GameSpot's latest preview and coverage of developer discussions from Comic-Con 2011 and PAX 2011.