It's official -- after hundreds of placeholders, rumored release dates, and leaked information, Guild Wars 2 finally has an official release date of August 28th, 2012 (pre-orders get early access on the 25th!). I had the opportunity to visit ArenaNet earlier this year, and as a result of my visit (and subsequent beta play), I saw some real promise in the game.

I have to admit, I came in pretty skeptical of all of the bold claims that the team was making, especially since I didn't really enjoy Guild Wars 1 -- I came out incredibly satisfied.

My favorite aspect of the game is the ability to do quests in the game's world without having to constantly group with people. There's no "quest object stealing" like in pretty much every other MMO out there, which makes general leveling a much more enjoyable experience.

If you haven't had the chance to try it yet and are part of the beta program, your last opportunity will be on July 20th-22nd.

Announcing the Guild Wars 2 Launch Date [ArenaNet]