Guild Wars 3 Launch: ArenaNet Reveals Playable Kodans

ArenaNet has confirmed that Kodans will be one of the four playable species available at launch in Guild Wars 3, bringing a “bear-people” faction with a specific spiritual backstory into the MMORPG’s Orr-focused narrative. The studio also outlined how these exiled Kodans connect to the magical-guardian order known as the Gardevaels, and why their arrival in Orr matters for the game’s themes of faith, protection, and balance.

Announcement: Kodans join the playable roster at launch

In Guild Wars 3, players will be able to choose from four playable species at release, including the Kodans. ArenaNet previously showcased Kodans in earlier Guild Wars installments, notably in Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds, but this will be the first time players can directly roleplay them in the upcoming MMORPG.

Narrative setup: exiled Kodans in Orr, linked to the Gardevaels

The Kodans are described as a proud, devout people who worship the god Koda, whom they believe created both Tyria and natural (including magical) life. Their guiding mission is framed as protecting Tyria and preserving the long-term balance of the world’s natural harmonies.

They originate from the Farther Cold Peaks, and most Kodans do not leave their homeland—except for a limited number. Some abandon their faith and migrate toward Janthir islands, where a small group later regains spiritual footing and receives Koda’s call to travel to the distant, mythic lands of Orr.

Roughly one century before the events of Guild Wars 3, a handful of these Kodans settle in the Orr region. When the game begins, there is said to be a permanent Kodan colony established in the northwest of Orr, implying that at least one Kodan city could appear within the MMORPG’s setting.

Practical impact for players: a species choice tied to the Gardevaels

Regardless of species, players in Guild Wars 3 are Gardevaels—members of an order tasked with watching over Orr’s magical spirits. The Kodans’ protective faith is presented as aligning with that mission, even though Orr’s humans have historically been wary of Kodans.

When Kodans join the Gardevaels, it’s framed less as conquest and more as honoring their ancestors. They continue a tradition that began about a century earlier among Kodans who recovered ancestral faith and acted on a renewed commitment to Koda’s teachings.

Kodans are confirmed as playable in Guild Wars 3 at launch
The Kodans’ faith centers on Koda, tied to the creation of Tyria and natural magical life
A Kodan colony is established in the northwest of Orr about 100 years before the game’s events
Players serve as Gardevaels, and Kodans are positioned as joining to reinforce ancestral spiritual traditions

Platform scope and what comes next

ArenaNet’s announcement places the Kodans alongside other launch-species plans: the studio has already presented the Orr humans as another playable group, and it has also referenced additional playable species beyond the initial four. In addition to Kodans and humans, the roster at launch includes an Asuran option and one more species not yet revealed.

With species choices tied to Orr’s conflicts and different motivations—progress and wealth pressures for humans, and a spiritual “return to roots” angle for Kodans—ArenaNet is signaling that the remaining playable species will likely come with their own distinct reasons for involvement in Orr’s story.