ArenaNet studio head says Guild Wars 3 will have 'significantly less' UI elements on the HUD for an MMO — 'We very intentionally designed this because it's also on console and it's a lean-back experience'
Although it's a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), ArenaNet has confirmed that Guild Wars 3 will have a minimal HUD.
ArenaNet's studio head Colin Johanson revealed that Guild Wars 3 will feature significantly fewer UI elements compared to other MMORPGs. This decision was made intentionally to enhance combat and showcase the game's expansive open world. The HUD will be minimal, primarily showing visual representations of combat status instead of traditional debuffs and buffs.
This design choice is partly due to the game's console compatibility and the intended lean-back experience, where players won't need to hover over icons to gather information. Instead, the game will emphasize real-time combat effects and interactions. For instance, cold attacks won't appear as stacked debuffs on the HUD; instead, players will witness the animation and impact of these conditions on enemies.
This shift in UI design is expected to draw players' attention to the actual combat on screen, resulting in a more engaging and immersive experience.
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