Guild Wars 2

So I recently downloaded and began playing the game, and I’ve got to say I’m quite impressed with the beauty of the game. Details, music, the way the interface is set up is all quite fantastic. The world seems so rich and alive. But there is one question I have about this game. At end game, does the game become a pay to play sort of experience or are items, gear, etc. obtainable through actually playing the game? I’m not sure if I am using the terminology correct. I know the game doesn’t have a monthly fee, which I love, but what scares me is once I get to level cap, do I have to pay real currency to obtain to the best gear and weapons?

Nope. This game isn’t pay to win.

The “best” gear and weapons, stat-wise, are fairly easy to get. Exotic-level gear is available through a variety of channels (karma vendors, crafting, open-world drops, WvW vendors, PvP reward tracks, dungeon tokens, trading post, …).

Ascended-level gear, while having maringally better stats, isn’t required except in highest-level fractals, a sort of hardcore dungeon that is mostly only run by hardcore dungeon runners. Unlike exotics though, ascended equipment has to be earned/crafted by your own account, it’s definitely not buyable, so no pay-to-win here.

Legendary weapons can be crafted in-game (and need a ton of resources to do so) or traded on the trading post (for insane amounts of gold). Stat-wise, they are identical to ascended weapons with the added bonus that you can change the stat set on the fly (thus use the same legendary for dungeons and WvW for example). People mostly get them for their skins and effects.

The gemstore holds skin sets, some of which are pretty nice, but there is a huge variety of skins in-game, too, so there is no reason (beyond vanity) to buy them.

Summary: You can’t buy stat advantage gear with real world money in this game.

Awesome. Thanks for the in-depth response. Just what I wanted to hear!

There is nothing you can buy with real money that will give you a significant advantage.

Most of the items in the gem store, including all the weapons and armor, are purely cosmetic. Most of them are skins which have no stats at all and have to be applied to equipment you got elsewhere to be used.

Other than that there’s a few convenience items like the bank access express which can be nice to have but aren’t needed at all and some very minor short-term boosters. Again nice to have, especially when you’re slightly below the recommended level for what you’re doing, but not something you have to have.