Located in Bellevue, Washington, ArenaNet is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation. The studio was formed in the spring of 2000 with the goal of creating a state-of-the-art interactive game network, and of developing premier multiplayer, online games. Having built such a network, ArenaNet continues to improve upon it, keeping stride with current technology and offering new and innovative approaches, such as a subscription-free business model, instanced missions, and streaming updates, which eliminate the need for patching.

ArenaNet's diverse staff has come together from many different countries and cultures. The team members speak a variety of languages, which—with the common bond of a love for games—helps them understand the needs of the global gaming community, and allows them to listen and respond to feedback from fans around the world. In keeping with the spirit of bringing people together, ArenaNet designs and operates servers that allow gamers to play with anyone, anytime, anywhere in the world.

In addition to designing the game and logging hundreds of hours each in the three Guild Wars campaigns and the recent expansion, staff members read fan forums and observe PvP matches on a daily basis. They also attend various live gaming events and hold tournaments for both the novice player and the top-ranked competitive guilds. The decisions charting the course for Guild Wars are not arbitrary choices made by an isolated marketing department; rather, the entire gaming community, including players and developers alike, has a voice in the future of Guild Wars.

Currently, ArenaNet is busy developing Guild Wars 2 while continuing to support Guild Wars with additional content such as holiday events, community contests, monthly championships, and merchandise. The entire team is excited about Guild Wars 2 and thinks players will be, too.