ArenaNet has released the 2012 sales figures for its acclaimed fantasy MMO, Guild Wars 2, and outlined its plans for the game during this year.

Guild Wars 2 sold three million units in 2012, Game Director Colin Johanson revealed in a post on the Guild Wars 2 official website.

Since the game’s release nearly five months ago, Guild Wars 2 players have been treated to regular content updates including The Lost Shore, Fractals (infinitely tiered dungeons), plus special holiday content for Halloween and Wintersday.

Johanson is very aware of the problems that ArenaNet’s MMO is suffering from, notably the lack of incentive to return to low level content, the lack of an observer mode and custom games in structured PvP, technical problems with World vs. World PvP (where enemies can essential roam around the map as if they were invisible) and a lack of end-game content.

In Johanson’s post, he discusses an expansion of Guild Wars 2‘s achievement system. ArenaNet plan to integrate a ‘token’ system that allows players to essentially buy in-game items such as tonics, unidentified dyes and gear using achievement points. Daily achievements will also differ each day of the week, encouraging players to venture into different areas of Tyria. Guild Wars 2‘s gear treadmill will remain cosmetic rather than stats-based, Johanson reassures players.

The article also reflects on the parts of Guild Wars 2 that made it the most acclaimed MMO of 2012, including the community, mechanics that lead to co-operative and not competitive PvE, and a dynamic world.

To read the rest of Colin Johanson’s article, head over to the Guild Wars 2 website where World vs. World progression, improved PvP matchmaking and other upcoming changes are discussed.

Are you still playing Guild Wars 2? What do you hope to see from it in 2013?