Guild Wars Novel to Set the Stage For Sequel

NCsoft kicked out a press release today announcing Ghosts of Ascalon, the first in a series of novels based on ArenaNet’s Guild Wars franchise.  Apparently it will “set the stage” for the release of Guild Wars 2: 

NCsoft Announces Ghosts of Ascalon, the First Novel Based on the Award-Winning Epic Fantasy Game Guild Wars®

NCsoft is proud to announce Ghosts of Ascalon, the first novel based on the best-selling MMO game Guild Wars. Written by acclaimed authors Jeff Grubb and Matt Forbeck, Ghosts of Ascalon introduces readers to a fantasy world ravaged by war and chaos, and sets the stage for the release of the highly-anticipated sequel Guild Wars 2â„¢.

Scheduled for release in North America and Europe in the summer of 2010, Ghosts of Ascalon takes place in the dangerous land of Tyria, the setting of Guild Wars. A mismatched band of adventurers, each plagued by ghosts from their pasts, journeys into the haunted, war-torn kingdom of Ascalon to retrieve a sacred relic that holds the promise of peace between humanity and their ancestral enemies, the savage charr. But not everyone wants peace, and the undead king who rules Ascalon won’t give it up easily!

In Guild Wars, one of the best-selling fantasy role-playing franchises of all time, players adventured through an epic storyline that spanned three continents or faced off against each other in head-to-head combat. Ghosts of Ascalon takes place in the same era as the upcoming Guild Wars 2, hundreds of years after the events of the original Guild Wars series. The sweeping storyline, richly imagined setting and dramatic characters will appeal to both fantasy readers and fans of Guild Wars alike.

For more information on Ghosts of Ascalon, please visit www.guildwars2.com.

About Guild Wars
Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, and Guild Wars: Eye of the North, are best-selling online role-playing games played all over the world. In Guild Wars, players adventure through a beautiful, deadly land, facing off against magical creatures, forgotten races, vengeful spirits and even a god. Players can choose to play the game solo, form a party with friends from anywhere in the world, or test their skills in player vs. player combat. The Guild Wars franchise operates on a subscription-free business model which has been enormously successful, attracting a vast and diverse global online community to the game.

About NCsoft
NCsoft, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, is the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games, including the critically acclaimed Aion®, Lineage®, Guild Wars®, City of Heroes® and Exteel® franchises. NCsoft West is a division of NCsoft that holds operating responsibilities for North America, Europe, South America, and Australia/New Zealand. More information can be found at http://us.ncsoft.com