Tyria hates dragons. They hate them so much that every year they hold the Dragon Bash, a festival in Lions Arch dedicated to... you get the point. Activities available include Dragon Ball (dodgeball with balls of fire), Moa racing, pinatas and spectacular firework shows. I’ve been poking around the festival ahead of its launch tomorrow in Guild Wars 2.
Naturally there’s also a ton of loot to be had and a great selection of Dragon’s Jade weapon skins. I spent some time trialing the festival and it’s a lot of fun.
But fun things don’t last for long.
Read and Comment
With the launch of custom arenas and spectator mode, PvP in Guild Wars 2 is becoming progressively more eSports-y. Sprouting up around the newly enabled arena bouts are a group of shoutcasters, acting as commentators for this virtual violence.
Arenanet are now reaching out to that burgeoning community, “authorising" some of the more vocal members, and granting them privileged access to broadcast bouts between highly rated teams.
Read and Comment
ArenaNet have been detailing their plans for the future of their World vs. World mode in Guild Wars 2. WvW designer Devon Carver explains that he wants to push the mode towards a future where play is more balanced and fair; a future where victory doesn’t hinge on who has more siege weapons or the biggest zerg mob.
Read and Comment
You know, I can’t think of the last time I celebrated my ongoing existence. I bet you can’t either, unless you count birthdays and New Year - but they’re more like 24-hour pangs of existential horror than anything.
They do things differently in Tyria. On June 11, Guild Wars 2 will celebrate Dragon Bash, the festival of thanks for another year not wiped from this plane by the Elder Dragons. Players will take to Lion’s Arch for mini-games, fireworks and exclusive weapon skins, among much else.
Read and Comment
Spotlight
?Our Spotlight units plug content our journalists have made, that our advertisers want to promote. Sometimes the promotion is paid for, but the content they go to is always independent with no client oversight or approval.
After a year in which the new Guild Wars has flourished and stayed that way, you might be forgiven for thinking that ArenaNet can do no wrong. Well, hear this: the developers have named their latest update the Last Stand at Southsun. Guess who they didn’t hire to deliver the trailer? Sean Connery. An irrecoverable error.
They’ve done their best to make up for it with a creature that looks like four angry rocks pulling apart a prawn, but is in fact a single, (presumably) sentient being. Look: you’d better see for yourself.
Read and Comment
After a suggestion on the MLG feedback forums, Guild Wars 2 is one step closer to attaining that Esports status it’s wanted since launch. MLG have already responded to the proposed addition, stating that the suggestion is “under review". If you’re eager to see Guild Wars 2 grace the big screens at your next MLG, now’s the time to get your voice heard.
Read and Comment
NCSoft has announced they’re slashing $10 from the price of Guild Wars 2, and this is no special offer. The exceptionally successful MMO will remain at this lower price forever (or at least until the next drop). Effective today, you can pick the game up for £34.99/$49.99.
Read and Comment
ArenaNet have seen “consistent and strong performance" through their in-game gem sales, particularly in comparison to the money they made through sales of boxed copies.
Strong numbers in that department spells a good future for the life of the no-sub MMO Guild Wars 2.
Read and Comment
Coming off the back of Retribution, Guild Wars 2’s living story will continue with The Secret of Southsun. The update will see players restore order to Southsun Cove allowing refugees from the Molten Alliance dungeons to live in peace. With The Secret of Southsun comes major improvements across the game: including the complete removal of player culling, multiple World vs World updates, and a Crab Toss mini game.
WAT.
Read and Comment
It’s been nearly six months since Guild Wars 2 introduced a new dungeon: the Fractals of the Mists. With the finale of the Flame & Frost saga, they’re finally adding something new. Tyra’s heroes must journey into the depths of the Shiverpeaks... to the Molten Alliance and their dubious weapons facility.
I’ve been playing this dungeon for a few days. Here’s what to expect.
Spoiler Alert: This hands-on will spoil some dramatic moments. If you care about your initial experience then I would advise running through it yourself.
Read and Comment
I’m going to come right out and say it: PvP in Guild Wars 2 always felt like an unfinished product to me. Coming from someone who has sunk thousands of hours into the original Guild Wars, PvP was probably its most prominent feature. Guild versus Guild (GvG) was the PvP that dominated: it was accessible with the eight skill limit, but diverse - with hundreds of team compositions.
That active PvP scene has been missing from Guild Wars 2: but the changes that are coming should see that start to change. Arenanet’s first step; the custom arenas and a spectator mode for Guild Wars 2. I’ve been playing with them in a private beta.
Read and Comment
Custom PvP arenas with much of the functionality of FPS dedicated servers are to be added to Guild Wars 2 in limited beta form in the Retribution update due next week, alongside a spectator mode. They’ll be accompanied with new World vs World abilities, guild missions, guild siege weapons and back banners. Meanwhile, Arenanet will conclude their Frost and Flame storyline with a brand new dungeon.
Read and Comment
Guild Wars 2’s Flame and Frost ‘living’ storyline will come to a close on April 30th with “Retribution", the finale to the four part living story. The accompanying update is vast, introducing custom arenas and spectator mode to Guild Wars 2’s PvP. But for the moment, we’re going to focus on the new dungeon coming to Tyria: The Molten Weapon Facility. Home to the alliance of dredge and the charr of the Flame Legion, players will race against the clock to stop them unleashing deadly new technology upon the world. With new enemies, weapons and a boss battle that will “go down in Guild Wars 2 history", this dungeon marks a new direction in encounter design for the Guild Wars 2 team.
Read and Comment
I don’t know a great deal about kicking cute animals, something but not lots, but I didn’t expect it to be as difficult as Rytlock’s Critter Rampage portrays it. In the space of two minutes I’ve been killed by a hopping bunny, a squat tortoise, and a spitting snake.
And I was playing on the easy mode, too.
Read and Comment
This weekend between April 19th-21st Guild Wars 2 will be free all weekend to those who can snag a code from various promotions around the interwebs. You have a good chance to get said codes by following them on Twitter or Facebook, where they will announce giveaways to the masses. If you already have a trial account from the last free weekend back in November, you can sit back and relax, as you can continue right where you left off.
Read and Comment
Next week’s throwdown will mark the eighth year of Guild Wars’ existence, made extra special by an upgrade to a new venue: y’know, Guild Wars 2. Games and goods await in the course of a party the likes of which Shing Jea Monastery has never seen.
Read and Comment
If you thought the Super Adventure Box was your months fill of Guild Wars 2 content, think again. The finale of Guild Wars 2’s four part living story is coming on April 30th, dubbed “Retribution". Taking place after the events of “The Razing", our heroes will follow Rox the charr and the norn Braham into the underground depths of the Shiverpeaks to put an end to the Flame Legion and their dredge allies.
Read and Comment
Guild Wars 2 is well-fed with players, and grows more rotund by the day. But its land is even larger, and players have clamoured for months about the need for a Looking For Group tool - something to point their wizards and warriors in the direction of populated areas, where they can team up with others to smash centaurs or pick apples or whathaveyou.
Developers ArenaNet have been making meaningful noises on the subject for a little while, but only yesterday confirmed that an in-game system will be in place by the end of 2013.
Read and Comment
What with their addictive qualities, MMOs have been tearing families, friendships, and relationships apart since the 90s. developer Arenanet are continuing that fine tradition by launching leaderboards with which to brag, boast, and bicker over.
Currently the listings only show the top 100 players in PvP, WvW, and Achivements but the developer promises to “ramp this number up and add some different ways to slice the data to help you get the most relevant information possible." The home-wrecking bastards.
Read and Comment
Guild Wars 2 recently introduced an extensive 8-bit zone titled the Super Adventure Box, which transcended the remit of an April Fools gag to become a substantial chunk of honest to goodness free content. Not only did the retro-pixel world look fantastically cheerful, but it was backed by an original chiptune soundtrack by composers Maclaine Diemer and Leif Chappelle. The lovely ArenaNet have just released the twee, old-school tunes in their 25 minute long entirety.
Read and Comment
Pages
