The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting game development in myriad significant ways. Full-time developers working from home are just the start of the problem. Contract workers are finding that once-reliable work is no longer available. Take for example Guild Wars 2. While ArenaNet is hard at work on its next Guild Wars 2 expansion, it’s also continuing its routine Living Story DLC. ArenaNet recently confirmed that Episode 3 of The Icebrood Saga will no longer feature voice acting due to the pandemic.
The fact of the matter is that the recording studio that ArenaNet for Guild Wars 2 is following shelter-in-place guidance, as are the Guild Wars 2 voice actors. For the time being, it’s not reasonable for ArenaNet to expect a crew to come in and record together. As such, Episode 3, titled No Quarter, will launch as a text-only chapter. It’ll be downloadable for Guild Wars 2 players next week.
ArenaNet wants Guild Wars 2 players to know while this is an unfortunate situation for all parties, it’s also a temporary one. Voice acting is planned to be added to No Quarter at a later date, once stay-at-home guidance has been lifted and it’s safe for everyone to get together again. When that is remains a mystery. It could be a matter of weeks, months, or further depending on how well states deal with the pandemic and how willing ArenaNet and partners are to keep pushing voice acting back.
That means that while the voice talent for Guild Wars 2 likely aren’t getting work right now, they’ll be getting it back once the pandemic is over. Hopefully, this means that in the longterm no work is lost for anyone. At some point, however, ArenaNet may be forced to make a difficult decision. For now, the plan remains to fill out any voice work that isn’t done later.
The unanswered question is whether No Quarter will be the only Episode of The Icebrood Saga that goes unvoiced. Depending on when Guild Wars 2’s next expansion is planned for, that could be impacted, too. COVID-19 has long-reaching consequences.
For the time being, Guild Wars 2’s voice actors are content and seemingly safe. The team put together a short video package providing information about the situation and reassuring Guild Wars 2 players. A Guild Wars 2 trailer for No Quarter, the third episode of The Icebrood Saga, will launch next week sans voiceover. Hopefully, players enjoy it just as much as normal regardless of the frustrating situation.
Guild Wars 2 is available now on PC.
