This Guild Wars 2 beginner guide focuses on the first 20 levels: the controls, movement, combat, weapons and the progression markers that matter early on. The official Guild Wars 2 guide introduces this starting phase, while the Extended Online Manual provides additional explanations. On Steam, Guild Wars 2 is presented as a free-to-play MMORPG with no subscription required; the interface, audio and subtitles are available in French.
Choose your character and world
Your race, profession, appearance, story and personality shape your first narrative paths, but none of these choices is required to learn the basics. New players can therefore choose a profession and appearance they genuinely want to explore.
Your home world mainly matters when you play with friends. Characters on different worlds can play together when those worlds are in the same region, North America or Europe. The world you choose also determines your character's team in World versus World, a mode reserved for level 80 characters. For a first character, select the same region as your group.
Before your first fight, open the control options. W, A, S and D are used for movement, but their mapping depends on your keyboard and settings. With an AZERTY keyboard, check each shortcut in the menu so you are not searching for the right key during combat.
Learn what each skill slot does
Slots 1 to 5 depend on your equipped weapon. Healing is assigned to 6, utility skills to 7 through 9, and the elite skill to 0. Profession skills use dedicated keys. A weapon swap therefore changes your first 5 actions immediately.
- Open the tooltips to identify damage, required resources and additional effects.
- Use the healing skill on 6 when your health drops.
- Keep some endurance in reserve for an important attack.
- After every weapon swap, reread slots 1 to 5.
Double-tapping a movement key triggers a dodge and consumes endurance. Because this resource limits consecutive dodges, watch the enemy's attack, keep one dodge available and use your healing skill before your health becomes critical.
Follow the tutorial, then read the map
The content guide in the top-right corner shows the tutorial's next actions. Stars and green circles on the compass indicate the story's direction. If the objective becomes unclear, check these markers before wandering through the area.
Open the map with M. It displays renown hearts, dynamic events, waypoints, vistas and points of interest. The Hero panel, accessible with H, lets you manage equipment and check your changes after obtaining a new weapon.
Alternate between the story, exploration and events you encounter. These activities grant experience and give you another route forward when the main progression slows down. The objective teaches the tutorial's sequence; the map shows what else the area offers.
Check what each level bracket unlocks
The official guide links each 10-level bracket to a new chapter of the personal story, along with new areas, equipment and items. The Extended Online Manual also lists thresholds for utility slots, the elite skill and the downed state, while warning that some information may be out of date.
Use those thresholds as reference points, then check what actually appears in your interface. That habit helps you avoid treating an old rule as current behavior or searching for a skill that is not yet available.
Avoid the early mistakes
Your home world does not determine the quality of your character: its confirmed significance mainly concerns World versus World. Likewise, do not swap weapons without rereading the 5 skills they grant, since your available actions and effects may change immediately.
When downed, your character can still fight or wait for a revival. Defeat reduces your armor's durability. Repair it for free from repair merchants or anvils found in cities and allied outposts.
If you are using Steam, check your account before installing: existing Guild Wars 2 accounts cannot be used through Steam. The Guild Wars 2 Steam page lists a release date of August 23, 2022, and states that client support has been limited to Windows 10 and later versions since January 1, 2024.
Start by configuring your controls, then follow the tutorial markers and reread your skills after every weapon swap. Choose your world according to your friends' region; race and profession can remain personal choices.
Also check out the Guild Wars 2 game page.
