Guild Wars - News

Bogus Videos and Security Concerns

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:38:31 GMT -0700

Recently, scammers have posted two bogus videos on popular internet hosting sites to try to trick Guild Wars players into revealing their account information. One video alleges to show players how to hack into Guild Wars, while the other offers early entry into the Guild Wars 2 beta. Both of these videos are completely bogus and are directly linked to recent account thefts. Do not fall for these scams. Remember: never give your account password out to anyone. Also, when legitimate information about the Guild Wars 2 beta is available, you will find it first on www.guildwars.com.

PAX Prizes Announced

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:38:31 GMT -0700

As you may have already read on the PAX page, we're giving away some great prizes at this year's show. We've posted the juicy details, so head over to our new prizes page, and read all about the loot that will be available to the lucky winners.

PayPal Available Now in the PlayNC Store

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:54:44 GMT -0700

We're pleased to announce that players in the US, the UK, and Germany can now use PayPal in the PlayNC store for purchasing any digital code item. This includes all campaigns, the Bonus Mission Pack, and the PvP Unlock Pack. To purchase an item with a PayPal account, simply log in to the PlayNC store and click the "Check out with PayPal" button.

This option is available for all Guild Wars items and many other things in the PlayNC store, but not for NCsoft game subscriptions and NCcoin. For additional information and help about this new payment option, please visit the Support Center.

August Xunlai and Zaishen Reward Updates

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:54:44 GMT -0700

Today we'll be adding points for July predictions to the Xunlai Agent and updating the tonic in the Zaishen Chest. If you made predictions for July in the Xunlai Tournament House, check with your neighborhood Xunlai Agent after today's live update to claim your Tournament Reward Points. To find out the tonic flavor for August, check the Zaishen Rewards Calendar.

Maestro Payment Changes

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:38:31 GMT -0700

To comply with new MasterCard security requirements, we will no longer be able to accept Maestro as a payment method in the Guild Wars In-Game Store. This change will occur on Thursday, August 7 after the live update.

Please note that these changes will only impact UK players, and will only affect purchases made in the In-Game Store. The Maestro payment option is still available through the PlayNC Store to purchase all Guild Wars campaigns, the Bonus Mission Pack, and the PvP Access Kit.

Guild Wars Goes to PAX and Leipzig

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:37:13 GMT -0700

Are you a fan of gaming conventions? So are we! That's why we're pleased to announce that we'll be appearing at both the Games Convention 2008 in Leipzig, Germany and the Penny Arcade Expo 2008 in Seattle, WA. To find out when these shows will take place and to learn more details about both events, check out our GC 2008 and PAX 2008 pages.

July Automated Tournament Results

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:39:31 GMT -0700

This month, Rebel Rising [Rawr] extended their incredible winning streak to seven consecutive victories by defeating Straight Outta Kamadan [KMD].

In this month's Hero Battles, Bob Bien claimed victory over Yi Gi Oh Wtf Oo to become our July champion.

Congratulations to all of the guilds and players who competed in the July tournament! To see the skill usage charts, as well as detailed results for both GvG and 1v1, visit the July Championship page.

July Tournament This Weekend

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:39:31 GMT -0700

The July Automated Tournament finale is this weekend, so don't forget to make any last minute Xunlai Tournament House predictions. Also keep in mind that the deadline for claiming your June Xunlai prizes is this weekend. You can speak with your neighborhood Xunlai Agent to collect your rewards from last month.

Daniel Dociu Featured in Communication Arts

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:39:31 GMT -0700

Congratulations to our Art Director, Daniel, for his recent feature in Communication Arts' 2008 July Illustration Annual 49. Read more about this prestigious competition here, and pick up July's issue here.

Xunlai and Zaishen Rewards Updated

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

It's reward time again! After today's live update, anyone and everyone who made predictions for June in the Xunlai Tournament House can speak to a Xunlai Agent to claim Tournament Reward Points. Additionally, the Zaishen Chest has a fresh new tonic for July. To see just what flavor it is, check the Rewards Calendar.

Guru GvG Challenge This Weekend

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

As a final reminder, registration for GuildWarsGuru.com's GvG Challenge 2008 wraps up this Friday, July 11 at 8:59 AM Pacific (-7 GMT). If you'd like to participate in the tournament, which takes place on Saturday, July 12, register at the official tournament page.

June Automated Tournament Results

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

With the recent win against Dark Alley [dR] in the June championships, Rebel Rising [Rawr] continues on an unprecedented winning streak, claiming a sixth GvG victory.

In Hero Battle news, Teh Legend Of Hb defeated Smurf Oo to become June's champion.

Congratulations to all of the guilds and players who participated in this month's tournament! To see the skill usage charts for June, as well as detailed results for both GvG and 1v1, visit the June Championship page here.

Upcoming Play! Performances

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

The "Play! A Video Game Symphony" tour has returned to the states with two new performance dates. The first appearance will be in Baltimore, Maryland on July 18. The second showing will be in San Francisco, California on August 23.

This is your opportunity to hear Guild Wars music performed by a full orchestra! Read more details about the symphony on their official website.

Guild Wars 2 Questions? We've Got Answers!

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

So what are we doing with Guild Wars 2, anyway? Check the FAQ to find out!

June Tournament Reminders

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

Don't forget! The finale of the June Automated Tournament is this weekend, so place those last minute Xunlai Tournament House votes. Also, the deadline for claiming your May Xunlai prizes is this weekend. To get your rewards, speak with your neighborhood Xunlai Agent.

The Dragon Festival Approaches

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

Join us at the Shing Jea Monastery this Fourth of July weekend to celebrate the annual Dragon Festival! The celebration includes the Shing Jea Boardwalk, Dragon Arena, Rollerbeetle Racing, and reenactments of past events. Festivities start at Noon Pacific (-7 GMT) on Thursday, July 3 and continue until 11:59 PM Pacific on Sunday, July 6. Read all the details and see a schedule of events here.

Dev Update: Hall of Monuments Changes

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

In the latest Developer Update, the design team reveals exciting news about the Hall of Monuments. Head over to the official wiki for the full story.

Guild Wars Guru Hosts New GvG Tournament

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

GuildWarsGuru.com, in connection with OnlineGamingRadio.com, has announced the GvG Challenge 2008. The tournament is sponsored by Electronics Extreme and offers more than $10,000 in prizes such as laptops and portable DVD players. It even has a contest just for making accurate predictions! Registration is open to everyone and goes until Friday, July 11, 2008 at 8:59 AM Pacific (-7 GMT). The tournament itself takes place on July 12. Visit the official tournament page for a full list of prizes and contest rules.

Beware of Fake Emails

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

Please watch for fake emails telling players that they are eligible to participate in the Guild Wars 2 Closed Beta. These emails are blatant phishing attempts to steal account information. Players should not reply to them.

ArenaNet or NCsoft employees will never ask for your password.

Dev Update: Skill Balance Changes

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

In this Dev Update, the design team explains the goals behind the most recent skill balance changes. Head over to the official wiki to check it out.

Sweepstakes Winners Announced

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

We're pleased to announce the results of the Guild Wars 3^rd Anniversary Sweepstakes! To see who won prizes, visit the sweepstakes page. Congratulations to these lucky winners!

Community News RSS Feed Available

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

If you're interested in community events, we now offer Community News in its own RSS feed. To get updates from this feed, add it to your RSS reader.

June Transmogrifier Tonic

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

In today's live update we'll be adding a brand new transmogrifier tonic to the Zaishen Chest, so get your keys ready. For future reference, these monthly tonics will now be released in the first live update of every month, so watch those update notes and the Zaishen Rewards Calendar to see the currently available monthly tonic.

Anniversary Sweepstakes Close Tomorrow

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

As a final reminder, the Guild Wars Third Year Anniversary Sweepstakes will close at Noon Pacific (-7 GMT) on Saturday, May 31. If you haven't entered yet, make sure you visit our sweepstakes page for a chance to win fantastic prizes, including an Alienware laptop.

May Tournament News

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

With an unexpected build using two Ritualists, Rebel Rising [Rawr] siezed an unprecedented fifth championship win this May. They defeated Stealing Society [StS], a popular European guild, to win the title.

In Hero Battles, we crown a first-time champion, Luv Benoit Ftw, who triumphed over Vi Ru in the final round. Luv takes the championship after narrowly coming in second last month. Congratulations to all the guilds and players in our tournament!

Be sure to check out the newly updated skill usage charts for this tournament, as well as detailed results for both GvG and Hero Battles.

Dev Update: PvP/PvE Skill Balancing

Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT -0700

The design team has a preview of the upcoming skill balance changes, including balancing key skills separately for PvP and PvE, which you can read here.

Dev Update: Skill Balancing

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:00:00 GMT -0700

The design team shares new plans for skill balancing, as well as addresses some of the problems of PvP nerfs affecting PvE. These changes are scheduled to come out in the next few weeks, along with another skill balance update. The Dev Update provides more details on the new skill balance system, which you can check out here.

New Zaishen Rewards Announced

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:56:05 GMT -0700

With the conclusion of April's tournament, we're now moving over to our brand new in-game reward system. To learn more about what's in store, check out our new Zaishen Rewards page. You can also view our newly updated automated tournament rules here.

State of the Game: Meet Dark Alley

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:56:20 GMT -0700

Meet Dark Alley [dR], the most recent champions of both the April tournament and the Rawr Cup. Formed primarily from former members of guilds such as Idiot Savants [iQ] and Team Quitter [QQ], Dark Alley sits down with us to share their stories. Read what they have to say here.

Guild Wars Gear Sale

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:44:57 GMT -0700

The celebration of the Guild Wars third anniversary continues! There's a bunch of merch on sale at the Guild Wars Gear Store and the PlayNC Merchandise Store. Also check out our brand new "Alchemy" t-shirt, which was designed to commemorate our third year. Visit our merchandise page to see a list of everything available in each of the stores.

April Tournament News

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:51:47 GMT -0700

The April tournament has ended, with the extra-heavy cash prizes flowing freely to the lucky and skillful contenders. In first place for GvG, Dark Alley [dR] defeated a prior tournament winner, Mistral Edge [Me]. Over in the Hero Battles realm, Tibo L Invincible won over Luv Benoit Ftw. Congratulations to all our winners and runners-up, and we hope they enjoy their Amazon gift cards!

And, we've updated the following:

But what about the tournament rules you say? Stay tuned, for next week we'll have information about the future of automated tournaments and the new in-game prize system.

Daniel Dociu Interview

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:48:08 GMT -0700

The folks over at the architectural blog, BLDGBLOG, have posted an interview with our Art Director, Daniel Dociu. In this article, Daniel discusses what inspires him and provides detailed insight into the creation process of many of his pieces. Head over to the blog to see what Daniel has to say.

Guild Wars Anniversary Sweepstakes

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:33:31 GMT -0700

The third anniversary of Guild Wars is here! To thank all of you for another awesome year, we're holding a sweepstakes. You have a chance to win fantastic prizes, including an Alienware laptop. Read all about it here.

April PvP Predictors

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:24:07 GMT -0700

For April, we bring you the predictions and analysis of Jakal Storm, a regular monthly contributor. Check here to see how Jakal thinks the tournament will play out, and why.

Celebrate Three Years of Guild Wars

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:56:37 GMT -0700

You're invited to the party as we celebrate the Guild Wars Third Anniversary! The festivities include a brand new reward after finishing the Hell's Precipice mission in the original campaign, boardwalk games at the Shing Jea Monastery, and starting April 28, third birthday presents for characters created on this date. Join us for the celebration, starting April 24!

Third-Party Tournament News: 2008 RAWR Cup Wraps Up

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:56:44 GMT -0700

The 2008 RAWR Cup recently finished, with full third-party sponsorship and organization. We're happy to see this healthy competition among our players. In fact, one of our contract writers, known as Billiard (who also advised on the committee for this second RAWR cup), covered the event and wrote a summary for us. Find it here!

Guild Wars and Sarah Brightman

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:55:30 GMT -0700

As some of our eagle-eyed players have noticed, Symphony, the latest album from world-renowned vocalist Sarah Brightman features art from Guild Wars. Several months ago Ms. Brightman approached ArenaNet Art Director Daniel Dociu, feeling that his art style was a great match for this album. The album and website include concept art from Guild Wars, as well as original art created specifically for Symphony.

For more information, visit the official Sarah Brightman website.

Welcome Regina!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:35:34 GMT -0700

We'd like to introduce the newest member to the Guild Wars community team. Her name is Regina Buenaobra, and she starts today! She's created a user page on the wiki, so check it out.

Farewell Party Starts

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:17:34 GMT -0700

Join us this weekend for an exciting farewell party for our community relations manager, Gaile Gray. This extravaganza will extend from Noon Pacific (-7 GMT) today until Noon Pacific on Monday, April 7, so mark your calendars and party hearty! Find all the details of this one-time event here.

April Xunlai Tournament Predictions

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:48:55 GMT -0700

It's that time again! The Xunlai Tournament House is accepting predictions for the April tournaments. If you'd like a chance to get your predictions featured in this month's PvP Predictors article, be sure to send us your winning picks. Get all of the details here.

March Automated Tournament News

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:58:26 GMT -0700

Rebel Rising [rawr] wins the GvG tournament! Rebel Rising is a familiar guild to see in competitive play and has won several gold capes. In Hero Battles, Pls Patch Crossing defeated Cs Element to take first place. Congratulations to all our winners.

The final match reports are now available, as are the complete tournament standings, the updated tournament rules, and the ever-popular skill usage charts. Enjoy!

Andrew's New Role

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:58:50 GMT -0700

Andrew Patrick has decided he will be moving on from community to QA. Read all about his decision and wish him well on his new role at ArenaNet.

Midline PvP Guide Concludes

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:49:44 GMT -0700

Mark Yu of Delta Formation [DF] returns for the third installment of his series covering the midline in GvG. In this article, he covers the synergy between Rangers and Mesmers. Find it here.