:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66739280/guild_wars_2_heart_of_thorns_raid_1920.0.0.jpg)
Guild Wars 2’s next update, episode 3 of MMO’s Icebrood Saga, will not have voice acting, ArenaNet announced on Thursday, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Because of the social distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines, ArenaNet’s staff are all working remotely, including the people who work in the recording studio and the actors themselves. While certain other productions have opted to send equipment out to their actors in hopes of helping them create an in-home studio, Arena has opted instead to release episode 3 without the voice acting.
ArenaNet said it plans to record all of the dialogue from episode 3 as soon as it’s safe to do so and will retroactively add voice acting to the episode.
The trailer for Guild Wars 2’s upcoming episode, called No Quarter, will be released sometime next week, though ArenaNet hasn’t revealed the actual release date. Along with ArenaNet’s statement, the developer also released a video update for fans that includes many of the members of the English cast of Guild Wars 2 discussing the voice acting delay as well.
Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy.
