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Guild Wars 2 plans a big PvP patch for December 2nd
On December 5th, the first World Tournament Series for Guild Wars 2 will conclude with a showdown between the four best teams across the United States, Europe, and China. Right before that, on December 2nd, the Guild Wars 2 team will be deploying several large-scale updates to the game's PvP. So if you've been watching the tournament with rapt interest, you'll have a number of shiny new systems to test out; if you haven't, you can still reap the benefits of an improved PvP system in the game. Matchmaking is one of the biggest game mechanics seeing alterations. Players will be sorted by Glicko2 ratings for matchmaking purposes and subjected to a dishonor system that punishes behavior like leaving mid-match. The net result is a full ladder system for the game that will serve as a foundation for large-scale league play, with a test season planned for mid-December to make sure all of the parts work properly. There are more adjustments to be revealed over the next two weeks, but for now, dedicated PvP fans can rest easy knowing that more boosts are coming. [Source: ArenaNet press release]
Step into the arena of Star Wars: The Old Republic
Each of the warzone maps in Star Wars: The Old Republic has the same basic focus: Clear the objectives to win. There are no maps that just pit players against one another in a straight fight to the death. Patch 2.4 is going to change that with the addition of the new warzone arenas, a new type of map that puts two teams of four into a map with the simple goal of being the only team left standing. Each arena match consists of three rounds, with both teams receiving a full resurrection and cooldown restoration after winning or losing a round. The first team to defeat the other team twice is the victor. If one side wants to just wait out the clock, there's also a sudden death timer that forces players to get into the fight. Read all about the map formats and some of the new queueing mechanics for PvP in the latest development blog.
Guild Wars 2 discusses upcoming arena changes
Guild Wars 2 isn't always about stories or elections or even dynamic content. Sometimes it's just about players getting into an arena and smashing each other to pieces. Players fond of the game's Rated Arenas can look forward to some upcoming improvements and additions, starting with a split into solo and team formats rather than the current catch-all header. While the game mechanics will be identified as both, Solo Arenas are composed solely of people queueing up alone, thereby ensuring that both sides of a match are thrown into a random group rather than a premade team facing several assorted members. The arenas will also implement a 72-hour debuff for players who abandon their matches, with five stacks preventing players from queueing up again. The full discussion of these changes goes on to promise more map randomization, spectator mode, and new permanent finishers for fans of rated PvP. It's good news for everyone, unless you made a long habit of joining rated games and then leaving for no reason.
Guild Wars 2 frees up tournaments for all
It's time to stop paying money for the right to prove that you're better than your enemies. Starting with tomorrow's update, Guild Wars 2 is abolishing Paid Tournaments altogether, replacing them with Free Tournaments. Free Tournaments will be available in 1-round and 3-round formats for players, with the winning team in a 1-round tournament receiving a reward chest. Any unused Tournament Tickets can be redeemed for special reward boxes from a Ticket Merchant NPC. Why the change? Originally the whole split between Paid and Free Tournaments was meant to allow the best players to compete against one another while allowing more casual players fair matches, but with the addition of a full ranking system, the split was no longer needed. Matchmaking and ranking will be separate between the 1-round and 3-round tournament formats, ensuring that anyone can play one format or the other as desired. So take heart and take up arms against your enemies because as of tomorrow, you can do so for free.
