Once again, the air grows chill, the veil between the Mad Realm and Tyria grows thin, and the Shadow of the Mad King falls over Lion’s Arch and beyond. Log in now for the spooky celebrations, fiendish fun, and mountains of candy! The haunting lasts until November 3, so check out the full release notes[en-forum.guildwars2.com] and start your trick-or-treating.

This year’s festival comes with a lineup of eerie new rewards. Complete the (Annual) Halloween Rituals meta-achievement to earn the Primeval King’s Wrappings headpiece and your choice of the Fog Machine weapon. Save up enough Candy Corn Cobs (and other spooky materials) and you can purchase a Plush Mad King Backpack and Mini Longhaired Black Cat of your very own! And if decorating is part of your tradition, you can talk to Deft Lahar in Lion’s Arch to unlock the following new guild and housing decorations: Plush Zhaia, Plush Mad King, Foreboding Raven Tree, and Foreboding Raven Roost.

Evon Gnashblade is celebrating with discounts and new items from the Black Lion Trading Company! Halloween-themed items, like the Witch’s Outfit, are available at a 20% discount until November 3, and the Black Lion Chest has been updated with the guaranteed Evon Gnashblade Trick-or-Treat Bag and the chance to get the Flowing Sand Cape.

A new Autumn Garden Homestead Package is available for 800 gems and bundles up everything you need for a cozy, autumnal garden: leaf piles, cornstalks, a garden gate and fence, tree stumps, falling leaves, hanging lanterns, and a garden tree with leafy and bare versions!

And don’t forget, the Mad King Homestead Sky and Mad King Conjured Doorway are still available to make decorating your homestead for the spooky season complete!

The path to the Mad King’s domain begins with a letter from Magister Tassi. Check your in-game mail for an Invitation to the Mad Realm. Use this to travel between the mortal world and the twisted realm of Mad King Thorn.

Lion’s Arch serves as the heart of Halloween festivities in Tyria. You’ll find portals to Lion’s Arch in every major city for players level 35 and above or for anyone who owns a Guild Wars 2 expansion.

For those who can’t access Lion’s Arch directly, fear not! You can still find haunted doors in locations like the Village of Shaemoor or the Village of Smokestead. These spooky portals are guarded by Lunatic Boatmasters who will happily ferry you to the Mad Realm’s horrors. Don’t forget to explore the haunted doors scattered throughout Kessex Hills and Gendarran Fields—trick-or-treating opportunities await!

Mad King Thorn’s laughter rattles through every shadowed corner, daring mortals to dance to his tune. Embrace the eerie with activities both beloved and bizarre!

Lion’s Arch:  The city is transformed into a nightmarish vision filled with ghoulish decorations and a haunted atmosphere. Every two hours, Mad King Thorn himself will challenge players to a twisted game—obey his commands (but only when he says “Your Mad King says…”) and win keys to unlock his treasures!

Mad King’s Labyrinth: Explore the dark and winding maze of the Mad King’s Labyrinth, battling hordes of twisted creatures, racing your mounts, and trick-or-treating for bags stuffed with ghoulish goodies. Be wary, though—dreadful enemies like the Grand High Viscount of Candy Corn and the terrifying Labyrinthine Horror stalk these shadowy halls.

Mad King’s Clock Tower: For thrill-seekers, the original heart-pounding jumping puzzle returns. Race against the rising miasma below! Or, if you prefer a slower pace, test your skills on the Stopped Clock Tower variant.

Ascent to Madness: Ready for the ultimate showdown? Face Mad King Thorn himself in this spine-chilling dungeon encounter, available to players of all skill levels.

Mad King’s Raceway: Race through creepy courses on your mounts in time trials or head-to-head races. Rental mounts are available if you don’t have your own.

Minigames: Speak to a Lunatic Boatmaster to jump into the frenzied chaos of Reaper’s Rumble or the survival horror of Lunatic Inquisition.

Enjoy the frightful festivities between now and November 3!

Team ArenaNet is preparing for our annual Extra Life event and you're invited to join us! Extra Life is a fundraising program in support of Children's Miracle Network: a network of 170 nonprofit children's hospitals throughout the United States and Canada.

Thanks to the support of events like Extra Life, these hospitals treat over 12 million children every year, and we're proud to be part of that alongside you, our community. As always, when Team ArenaNet reaches $25,000 in direct donations to Children's Miracle Network, ArenaNet will match the amount, instantly doubling the donation total to $50,000!

This year, we're splitting up our game day livestream into two separate events. We'll be live on our Twitch channel[www.twitch.tv] from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8) on both Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14. Members of our development teams will be livestreaming Guild Wars® and Guild Wars 2® gameplay, with challenges, giveaways, and surprises throughout the event.

We'll be celebrating Extra Life in Guild Wars 2 from November 10 until December 1. When you log in during this time, you'll receive the title "The Extra Life" if you didn't unlock it in previous years.

During the event, the Extra Life Bonus will be active in-game for all players:

·       +5% magic find

·       +5% experience from all sources

·       +3% WvW reward-track progress

·       +3% PvP reward-track progress

This bonus will stack for every $10,000 USD in direct donations to Team ArenaNet. To activate the current stack and see the current donation total, pay a visit to Lion's Arch when you log in.

The 2026 Extra Life Donation Bundle will be available in the Gem Store from November 10 until December 1. The bundle contains five Extra Life Karma Boosters, five Temporary Selfless Potions, and the all-new Extra Life Balloon Toy.

Players can also purchase additional Extra Life Karma Boosters separately. If you missed last year's Mini Guardian Angel Blish, we'll be making the 2025 bundle available again this year as well! Purchasing any of these items will also grant you the in-game title "The Extra Life" in blue text. All proceeds from these purchases will be donated to Extra Life!

Your support is why we're able to help Children's Miracle Network support millions of kids, and we're excited to partner with all of you again this year. Join Team ArenaNet by visiting our team page[dd.extra-life.org] and selecting "Join Our Team."
If you'd rather create your own team with your friends, family, or community, you're invited to become part of our Super Team—visit our Super Team page[dd.extra-life.org] and select "Create a Sub Team." You'll have your own team page, goals, and be part of our group of teams.

You don't need to stream Guild Wars 2 to participate—any game will do! Or, if streaming isn't your thing, help us spread the word and encourage friends, family, and coworkers to donate.

We're grateful for all your support over the years, and we can't wait to Make Big Change for All Kids again this year!

Greetings Gamers!

Back in June, we announced[www.guildwars2.com] that the Guild Wars 2® team was developing the first new borderlands map for World vs. World in over a decade and we're building it alongside the players who live and breathe it. Our first beta test for the new map begins on November 10, so mark your calendars! Today, we'd like to share an update on our progress so far, what we're aiming to achieve, and give you an early look at some gray-box screenshots of the map.

When we developed the Desert Borderlands, we didn't show the map to the community until it was in a mostly final state. This didn't afford the team with ample flexibility to respond to feedback, especially when it came to changing the layout of the map. This time, just like we did with the Push PvP game mode, we're involving you much earlier in the process. When you get your hands on the map during the first beta, it will be in a gray-box state, meaning that the art and assets won't be final, making it much easier for us to make changes. We'll be able to alter the layout of the map and objective placement, which will impact things like travel time and combat flow. The competitive team's top priority is making sure this new map captures what players love about the current World vs. World battlegrounds while building an experience that is fresh and exciting.

For the first beta, we won't be introducing any new map mechanics like we did with the Desert Borderlands. We found that we threw a lot at the community all at once, such as controlling the elemental shrines for special bonuses and the energy cannon event in the oasis. While we're interested in exploring these sorts of additions, we want to save that for when we're further along. Instead, we'd like to focus the first beta on gathering feedback on the map and objective layout. We want to focus on how it feels to navigate the map, where battles occur, and how long it takes to get from place to place. After we're satisfied with the layout, we'll move on to things like unique map mechanics.

When this beta begins, to maximize the play time on the new map, all Alpine Borderlands will be replaced with the new gray-box map. Eventually, we plan to have this new map permanently replace the current Green Alpine Borderlands, making each borderlands unique with a distinct theme. Set during the cataclysmic events of the Searing in Ascalon, our new map will allow our World vs. World players to explore a battlefield of one of the most iconic areas in Tyria. The Ascalon-themed map will encapsulate areas from pre-Searing and post-Searing with tie-ins to both humans and the war-driven charr of that age.

After the first beta test, we will be running more beta tests before this map is released to the live game. Subsequent beta tests will have changes to the map and objectives based on the feedback we gather from this first one, and potentially some brand-new map and objective mechanics. We're hoping to take advantage of the betas to see what could work not only for this new map, but also as possible additions to WvW as a whole.

When we get closer, we'll be opening up a feedback thread on the official forums[en-forum.guildwars2.com] to gather your thoughts. We're looking forward to shaping the new borderlands map with the World vs. World community. When the time comes, make sure to be vocal about what you like and don't like!
Until next time, as always, we'll see you in the Mists!

The last episode of Guild Wars 2®: Visions of Eternity™ has arrived with a magical twist! Follow the commander's adventure into an all-new update, and see how this riveting story ends.

Get ready for the final showdown in Leyspring Hollows. This supply drop has everything you need to venture into this new, magical map! When you purchase the Code of Creation Supply Drop Requisition, the Black Lion Trading Company will send you a package of valuable items each week. The first supply drop will arrive as soon as you've purchased the requisition, and the others will be delivered on the three following Tuesdays.

Purchase the Code of Creation Supply Drop Requisition right now at a 20% discount for 2,400 gems. This discount decreases each week, so pick up yours now for the best price—get your first shipment of items today! (Limited to one purchase per account. Purchases made after week one will include items from the previous weeks in the first delivery.)

This drop includes the Dreamwalker Spear Skin and the Enchanter's Hat Package, which are new cosmetic items you'll receive before they make their debut in the Gem Store!

Here are the items you'll receive each week:

Week 1:

• Additional Requisition Team Contract Board (This adds the Black Lion Requisition Teams Post to your home instance or homestead, which can be used to collect resources across Tyria. If you already have a board, this adds an additional team you can send out. Otherwise, if this is your only contract board, you can pick from fine crafting materials.)

• 2 Heroic Boosters

• 2 Communal Boost Bonfires

Week 2:

• Dreamwalker Spear Skin

• 1 Upgraded Bag Slot Expansion

• 5 Black Lion Statuettes

Week 3:

• Black Lion Outfit Voucher

• Elite Weapons Voucher

• 3 Smooth Berry Dye Kits

• 3 Monstrous Dye Kits

Week 4:

• Enchanter's Hat Package (Contains the Enchanter's Travelling Hat Skin and Enchanter's Embroidered Hat Skin)

• Black Lion Backpack Voucher and Black Lion Glider Voucher

• 5 Black Lion Chest Keys

• 1 Golden Black Lion Chest Key

Inside each chest, you're guaranteed to find a redeemable Black Lion Statuette, one Mini Blue Cuckoo Hatchling, and two common items. You also have a chance to find something rarer in the fifth slot, including special items, glyphs, and skins from the Dokkaebi Weapon Collection and the Paladin's Decree Weapon Collection.

Exclusive Item: "/Firedance" Emote TomeBring forth the blaze within your heart and dance with scorching vitality. The fire poi will look beautiful against the night sky. The "/Firedance" Emote Tome is a new, exclusive drop from Black Lion Chests.

We're stocking up our shelves for the upcoming season! On Friday, September 18, miniatures will be 20% off until October 2. Check out some of our favorites: Mini Choya Pumpkin Gang, Mini Outlaw Puppy, Mini Shrine Guardian, Mini Jaguar Cub, and Mini Drooburt's Ghost.

Returning This Week

A new story update means new loot to collect! Expand your inventory with our discounted Bag Slot Expansions. This offer will be available until October 22 with a 20% discount.

Log into Guild Wars 2 and press 'O' to access the Black Lion Trading Company for these great offers and more!

Guild Wars 2®: Visions of Eternity™ wraps up its dramatic story arc today with the release of "Code of Creation." Today's update is brimming with new content and rewards to pursue, so strap in as we give you the full rundown. To kick things off, watch the "Code of Creation" trailer below and check out the full release notes[en-forum.guildwars2.com] for all the specifics.

In addition to the new map, story chapters, and endgame encounters we previewed last week[www.guildwars2.com], "Code of Creation" is packed with new content. Here's a complete breakdown of everything arriving in today's release:

• New map: Leyspring Hollows

• Six climactic story chapters

• Fractal: Solitary Throne

• Raid encounter: Nexus of Eternity

• Convergence: Nexus of Eternity

• Legendary Sword: Wages of Stars

• Mastery line: Rift Amplification

• Wizard's Vault seasonal refresh

• Scads of new rewards and achievements

With the final quarterly release of Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity, players will be able to unlock a new mastery line called Rift Amplification that grants a fresh approach to how they can engage with rifts across Tyria. Throughout the story in Castora, players might have noticed something different about the rifts here, namely that they had Inquest! Our allies in the Tyrian Alliance have been investigating how the Inquest has been able to harness these powers, and in "Code of Creation," they've finally found the answer.

With Rift Amplification, players will be granted access to four new mastery tiers:

• Rift Tears: This mastery grants you the ability to use the Heart of the Obscure to find alternate routes to the active rift you're tracking. Now, instead of following the magics to their source, you'll be able to go to Rift Tears that exist in nonactive rift areas spread across Castora. When interacted with, they will teleport you directly to the active rift, getting you to the fun, faster!

• Overcharged Rifts: After the first part of a rift event is complete, you'll now be given the option to "overcharge" the rift before the boss appears. By overcharging the rift with a motivation of the same tier, you'll be faced with a greater challenge from the summoned boss and an additional threat from the instability of the rift itself. Those who overcome this additional challenge will receive additional rewards.

• Tearing Across Tyria: As your bond with the Heart of the Obscure deepens, you'll now be able to utilize Rift Tears across any rifts in Tyria.

• Overcharge Tyria: Finally, as a master of rifts, you will now be able to overcharge all rifts in Tyria that can be opened with the Heart of the Obscure.

"Code of Creation" wouldn't be complete without some awesome new rewards to seek and claim for your own. Playing through the story will reward players with the Tenebral Ward armor set, perfect for channeling a dark, gothic knight vibe. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can craft arms from the Shining Ward weapon set. These ornate implements feature intricate designs and are made from a stunning mixture of ivory, teal, and royal blue materials.

The new legendary sword, Wages of Stars, is as magnificent as the cosmos. This brilliant blade sparkles with a galaxy of stars and is unique in that it follows its wielder by hovering nearby when sheathed. This sword is truly a treasure to behold, with its starry footfalls, a draw animation that produces constellations, and a dazzling finisher effect!

New rewards from the Nexus of Eternity Convergence and raid encounter include two new combat tonics for those who can't get enough of Vloxx! Volatile Ascension is a new infusion that also drops from the Convergence, but we'll let you discover what its visual effects are for yourself.

And of course, there are many other rewards to collect, including unique one-off weapons, miniatures, seer-themed homestead decorations, emotes, relics, and more!

The Wizard's Vault stock has been refreshed with new rewards! Spend your astral acclaim on the Gwyl Knight weapon set, or complete your Ward Hunter armor set with the new mask, leggings, coat, and cape. Tyrian birders won't want to miss the Bird Pond Chair, where you can relax with a few of your avian friends.

As we pause our expansions to make room for the Hall of Monuments and quality-of-life updates, rest assured that we'll continue to rotate the Wizard's Vault rewards on a similar cadence as we've done previously. And don't forget that all our past cosmetic rewards are always available in the Wizard's Vault Legacy tab, so you never have to fear missing out!

From now until September 20, you can earn exciting Twitch Drops[www.guildwars2.com] just by watching your favorite Guild Wars 2 streamers. Watch a total of six hours before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) on September 20 to unlock all available rewards, including the brand-new Arcane Occultist's Hat!

Here are the goodies you can earn:

• One Hour: Item Booster

• Two Hours: Mini Piglet

• Four Hours: How to Dance, Volume 1

• Six Hours: Arcane Occultist's Hat

Immerse yourself in the rich soundscape of Guild Wars 2's sixth expansion with the official soundtrack of Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity. Composed by Bryan Atkinson, Ben Ash, Brendon Williams, and Catherine Nguyen, this soundtrack features 37 evocative tracks.

Preorder[materia.store] the deluxe 2xLP 180-gram Blood Orange vinyl today for $39.99!

"Code of Creation" is out now, but the fun doesn't stop there. From our brand-new Dismount Rush event later this month to the return of Fractal Incursion, along with the beta for our new WvW map, Extra Life, and our first Hall of Monuments update, there's a lot to look forward to before the end of the year.

Check out the full event schedule below, or read last week's blog[www.guildwars2.com] for a deeper breakdown of what's coming next.

The entire Guild Wars 2 team poured their hearts into Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity and we can't wait to see your reactions to "Code of Creation." Tell us what you think on our official forums[en-forum.guildwars2.com] and Discord[discord.gg] server.

Be safe, have fun, and game on!

Greetings, Tyrians!

The final chapter of Guild Wars 2®: Visions of Eternity ™ drops September 15. Next week, "Code of Creation" will send players into the depths of Castora as they seek to stop Vloxx from achieving his goals throughout six climactic new story chapters. All eyes are on you, Commander, and here is what you need to know about next week's update.

When the commander and their allies departed from the port of Lion's Arch, everyone suspected typical Inquest antics—cold and calculating leadership, merciless creations, and a propensity for cruelty in pursuit of innovation. All things the commander certainly faced during their adventure on Castora, but Vloxx proved to be a more complex opponent. His mission was a ruse, viewing the Inquest simply as tools while he sought to remedy something far more severe. Now, the former Inquest director has taken up the mantle of eternity while Kuda has taken up the Inquest he left behind.

In the final update of Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity, the commander and Isgarren must coordinate with their allies to fight back against those who threaten everything they've built and fought to preserve.

At the start of "Code of Creation," you'll venture deep into the cavernous expanse of Leyspring Hollows in pursuit of both Kuda's Inquest and Vloxx.

The depths are a mysterious place, and like many things you've encountered on Castora, they're as dangerous as they're disarmingly beautiful. As you traverse the twisting veins of the leyspring in pursuit of your enemies, you'll uncover the seer doyen's greatest secret and the heart of his people's spiritual undertaking on Castora. The Stewards of Galdra, "living" remnants of this once great society, are eager to keep these secrets from the clutches of your enemies and have offered their aid in your quest.

Although Vloxx abandoned the Inquest, they now pose a threat that cannot be ignored. Kuda is unhinged; she's been waiting her entire life for this moment—and no one is taking it away from her. Left to their own devices, many of the Inquest are plundering the depths for power. No longer on their heels, you and your allies must make a final stand against them before Kuda pushes the Inquest into a new level of brutality.

Our enemies cannot succeed.

In "Code of Creation," you'll fight against the Inquest in a multistage meta-event as tensions come to a head with the newly crowned Director Kuda. In the Depths of Cruelty meta, you'll face a greater challenge than those set before within the expansion. Communication and collaboration will be key in thwarting Kuda's plans, with the weight of your decisions having a direct impact on swinging the tide of battle in your favor.

Unlike the other meta-events in Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity, the Depths of Cruelty is set on a three-hour cycle rather than two, which is similar to Convergences. We've also shuffled the Shackles of the Ancients meta-event start time five minutes earlier. We decided on these changes to allow for each meta-event within Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity, as well as the Convergence, to run with a reduced chance of potential competition with the other's start times. That way, you'll be able to go from event to event, across each map, with minimal disruption.

Another reason for the adjustment is to allow you more time to engage with content on the map before the meta-event begins. Similar to maps like Dragon's End and Amnytas, Leyspring Hollows will close after the meta-event is completed, but instead of closing immediately, you'll get a prompt to move to a new map within one hour.

For this release, you'll participate in a new Convergence where you'll find yourself coming head-to-head against in the Nexus of Eternity. You'll face challenges that call back to experiences and mechanics throughout other parts of Tyria.

Unlike the Mount Balrior and Outer Nayos Convergences, where you clash against a rotation of bosses, the Nexus of Eternity Convergence contains one robust encounter with multiple distinct phases. With this change, you'll be able to experience the full variety of mechanics with each run and the choices you make will keep the encounter feeling fresh.

We've also adjusted the risk vs. reward elements of essence gathering. You must now push yourself to the limit by gathering max stacks of the essence before they can be cleared. Though, doing so will now reward a powerful ability based on your profession, allowing you to turn the tides of battle in your favor.

In addition to a new Convergence, the Nexus of Eternity has also been adapted to test your mettle as a challenging raid encounter. This encounter requires a squad of ten players to work together to face the great challenges that await them in the finale of Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity.

A new fractal, Solitary Throne, is also releasing with "Code of Creation." Groups of up to five players can explore what happens when a single being harnesses too much power. Avoid hazards while navigating a mysterious, celestial environment to reach and defeat the Eternal Tyrant himself.

If you're hungry for a more severe challenge, we will also be releasing Challenge Modes for the Convergence, raid encounter, and fractal two weeks after "Code of Creation" launches on September 29. Following that, the Legendary Mode for the raid encounter will launch on October 13.

"Code of Creation" kicks off a season that is jam-packed with bonus events, festivals, and game updates. The complete roadmap is detailed below, but let's discuss some of the highlights.

Later this month, we'll be debuting a new event called "Dismount Rush" that will offer temporary bonus rewards for forgoing your mounts in content designed before mounts were introduced. This fall, the Fractal Incursion event will return with new rewards, and we'll be kicking off the beta for our new WvW map where your feedback will help shape its development. Then, we have our annual Extra Life charity game day and accompanying in-game event, which is always a highlight of our year. Finally, we'll cap off the year with our first Hall of Monuments update, allowing players to start earning rewards for Guild Wars 3™!

Get ready for what we have coming up:

September

• September 29–October 6: Dismount Rush Event

• September 29: Fractal Challenge Mode: Solitary Throne

• September 29: Raid Challenge Mode: Nexus of Eternity

• September 29: Convergence Challenge Mode: Nexus of Eternity

October

• October 13–November 3: Shadow of the Mad King

• October 13: Raid Legendary Mode: Nexus of Eternity

November

• November 10–December 1: Fractal Incursion

• November 10: Skills and Balance Update

• November 10: WvW New Map Beta

• November 10–December 1: Extra Life Bonus Event

• November 13–14: Extra Life Game Day

• November 23– December 1: Gnashbash "Birthday" Celebration

December

• December 8–January 5: Wintersday Festival

• To Be Announced: Hall of Monuments Begins

Stay tuned for more information in the coming days on our social media channels and our official Discord. We're looking forward to watching you experience everything we have waiting for you in the "Code of Creation."

—The Guild Wars 2 Team

The 14th anniversary of Guild Wars 2® is here, and one of the ways we're celebrating is by offering savings on past expansions and digital deluxe upgrades, available until September 1 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7)!

• Expansion 5—Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds™ Standard Edition

• Expansion 4—Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure™ Standard Edition

• Expansion 3—Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons® Standard Edition

• Expansions 1 and 2—Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns® and Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire™ Standard Edition

• Guild Wars 2—The Elder Dragon Saga Complete Collection

• Guild Wars 2 Starter Pack—A one-time account upgrade with a Raptor Mount Unlock, Basic Gliding Unlock, Bank Tab Expansion, Upgraded Bag Slot Expansion, and Total Makeover Kit.

Log in now and head to the Gem Store to collect one free Black Lion Chest Key and (if you missed it last year) Prince Rurik's Vanguard Cape Skin, plus 30% off additional Black Lion Chest Keys and 10% off all Black Lion Vouchers until September 1 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific (UTC-7).

During the same discount period, you can store more loot with 20% off Bank Tab Expansions or enjoy exclusive areas with all the conveniences by snagging one of our permanent lounge passes, which are also 20% off..

Select mount skins have been discounted by 20% until September 4, including the Synergetics Cyberscale Skyscale Skin, the Plush Raptor Skin, the Plush Skimmer Skin, and the Mischievous Ferret Warclaw Skin.

Finally, we have a new festive set of infinite gathering tools. The Piñata Harvesting Tool, the Piñata Logging Tool, and the Piñata Mining Tool are available for 2,700 gems. See them in action here:

We've had 14 years of adventures, stories, and friendships, and we're forever grateful to our community of players that call Tyria home. Happy anniversary, Guild Wars 2!

—The Guild Wars 2 Team

The Festival of the Four Winds, one of Tyria's beloved summer traditions, is upon us again. Hot-air balloons in each nation's capital stand ready to whisk visitors away to the Labyrinthine Cliffs to visit the Zephyrites and the Crown Pavilion in Divinity's Reach, which has flung open its doors for combat-ready visitors.

As you play, earn rewards like the new Cloud Pteruges leg-armor skin (complete with an unclouded alternate skin), Spellwork weapons, a Plush Kralky Backpack, and thematic homestead decoration recipes. Special objectives in the Wizard's Vault will even award you with Astral Acclaim for participating in the Crown Pavilion and Zephyrite activities. Evon Gnashblade is getting into the spirit of things, too. While the festival is running, select Zephyrite-themed items from the Black Lion Trading Company will be available at a 20% discount.

Preview some of this year's rewards in the video below, check out the full release notes[en-forum.guildwars2.com], then head in-game to enjoy the festivities until September 1!

Hello, Tyrians!

Throughout this year, the Competitive team has been running beta tests[www.guildwars2.com] to improve how scoring works in World vs. World (WvW). The focus of the betas has been to shift score generation toward tangible player actions like sieging, capturing objectives, and killing players while moving away from passive mechanics like owning objectives over time that can happen whether players are involved or not.

After the first beta, we shared our findings in a retrospective[en-forum.guildwars2.com] posted on our forums. Today, we're here to discuss our feedback and changes based on the second War Score beta we ran during the matchup in May. This beta included new placement-based match rewards, a series of scoring adjustments, and the addition of points awarded for upgrading objectives.

While the first beta started with zero passively gained points aside from supply deliveries, we agreed with players that defending objectives was not adequately rewarding. In response, we adjusted to a good mix of score accrual from holding objectives that still encouraged interaction from enemy teams. Some points were added back to holding tier 3 objectives, but a larger number of points were added to objective tier-ups. This created contention that players could expect and play around instead of having all objectives constantly trickling points.

So how was the balance? After fixing some extreme outliers—dolyak’s deliveries, for instance—we landed on a much healthier spread in Beta 2 compared to Beta 1:

• Objective captures resulted in roughly 30% of all War Score generated.

• Player combat was about 25% of all War Score generated.

• Progress ticks accounted for 5% of the total, but combined with upgrades, holding objectives jumps to 15%.

• The single largest source of War Score generation was keep captures followed closely by player kills.

For reference, the score breakdown for normal gameplay outside of the betas is roughly 40% player combat and 35% passive objective ticks with objective assaults being only 9% of the total score generation.

Dolyak deliveries are still on the watchlist. Supply is the lifeblood of WvW, so we're very hesitant to remove scoring from dolyaks entirely even if they do provide a challenge for balancing passive score generation. We will continue to adjust their point value. Additionally, while guard kills do add some flavor with a low barrier to interaction, their total score value outweighs their mechanical contribution to the game mode, so they will no longer reward War Score in Beta 3.
One mechanic in the beta that hasn't had much attention is scaling score based on player counts. The intent was to encourage player congregation, but the system has been overly complex to balance and not easily understood. Plus, the majority of points being scored were coming from objectives that already had naturally incrementing point values.

Therefore, for Beta 3, we will be removing player count and objective type/tier scaling multipliers for simplicity, though the capability will still be there if we want to bring it back.

Beta 3 will include the return of placement-based match rewards, placement-based skirmish rewards, more balance changes, and boosted points for defensive player kills. For defensive actions, smaller areas around objectives will be used instead of the entire sector.

Another exciting new feature to look forward to is an in-game breakdown of War Score sources. We believe that if there are rewards attached to winning, players deserve more insight into what results in victory and the ability to compare against opponents. We're looking forward to your feedback on these additions!

At the end of the War Score betas, we're going to have new tech that we can leverage, regardless of whether we permanently adopt the adjusted scoring paradigms or not. This would include keeping the new in-game match scoring breakdown and placement-based rewards locked in to continue incentivizing players to care about scoring. Lastly, don't forget we're also developing a new WvW borderlands map alongside the community. For a refresher on that and our upcoming WvW initiatives, here's a recap of what our Game Director, Josh Davis, spoke about in June:

Beta 3 will begin in the middle of a matchup, so we want to make you aware in advance.  We're looking forward to hearing your feedback about our latest changes to War Score when you get to experience it in WvW during Beta 3 running from August 11 until September 4. We'll see you in the Mists!