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Guild Wars 2 kicks off Wintersday events
The event avalanche of Guild Wars 2's Wintersday has gotten up to full speed and is currently roaring down upon the game's population. Today's update activates the previous years' Wintersday content as well as a few new additions. There's the Wondrous Workshop to explore, jumping puzzles, bell choir minigames, the Snowball Mayhem battle royale, and a quest to track down Grawnk to get a Wintersday tree for home instances. The patch also activates a couple of PvP events, new Wintersday-themed cash shop cosmetics, the daily login rewards, and the latest overhaul of the daily achievement system.
Guild Wars 2 season 2 to continue on January 13th
The living world episodes for Guild Wars 2 are taking a month off for the holiday season, as ArenaNet announced today that Season 2 will reconvene on January 13th for "moments that will forever change the course of Tyria." That doesn't mean that Guild Wars 2 will go silent during this time, however. Wintersday is scheduled to return on December 16th, although this time it will take place in Divinity's Reach. ArenaNet is also hosting a test of its ladder season from December 16th through January 13th, allowing players to compete for various rewards, and a WvW Sneak Attack event during this same period. Finally, there will be the game's "first-ever" ESL monthly championship on December 10th.
Field Journal: The true meaning of MMO holiday events
Field Journal is a bold and exciting new take on MMO journalism. Or the meandering ramblings of a chronic game-hopper. I haven't decided yet. Each week I'll be setting for myself a new "adventure" or "field trip" into a game to explore some aspect of it in detail. I'll be sharing my thoughts and experiences, especially on games without a dedicated column. Anything from the most obscure indie to the elephant in the room is up for consideration. There just has to be something in it we think is worth gawking at and talking about! Given the timing, I wanted to kick things off with a look at seasonal events in MMOs. To make it special, I thought, why not tackle the events of a few games in one go? Oh how naive I was. Let me tell you, there's nothing like seeing the same flavor of holiday cheer over and over again in supposedly different worlds to strip away one's capacity for goodwill to all developers. Fortunately, there were a few bright spots.
Guild Wars 2 devs show off Wintersday features
If you missed yesterday's Wintersday livestream, ArenaNet was kind enough to release the recorded video showing off some of the goodies we can expect in the Wintersday celebration for Guild Wars 2 that starts today. Devs Jake Miller and Matt Witter demonstrate the difficulty of the winter-themed jumping puzzles, the Guitar-Hero-esque Bell Choir, PvP snowball fights, and more. You can watch the full video after the cut and enjoy the new Wintersday content running from today through the next six weeks.
Wintersday livestream to offer sneak peek into Guild Wars 2's new content
Just as winter returned this year, so, too, will Guild Wars 2's Wintersday holiday! The six-week celebration, dubbed A Very Merry Wintersday, brings with it some seasonal content for players to enjoy. Kicking off on December 10th, the festival features plenty of events and activities, from Toymaker Tixx's workshop to Toypocalype to the Bell Choir. The whimsical Winter Wonderland jumping puzzle also returns. And as befitting any good winter holiday, players will be able to belt one another with snowballs! Besides all the holiday cheer, this Wintersday release also includes new healing skills (one for each profession) and Ascended armorcrafting (which allows those plying the armormaking trade to raise their skill to 500). Why wait until the 10th to get into the Wintersday spirit? Check out the Wintersday video and screenshots below, and tune in to the devs' livestream preview on Monday, December 9th at 3:00 p.m. EST. [Source: ArenaNet press release]
Guild Wars celebrates Wintersday in July
What is this? A winter celebration in the middle of summer? Guild Wars, you're so crazy! We love you, though. The classic Guild Wars is taking a break from reminding us that it still exists and is quite fun too by throwing an encore of its Wintersday celebration. Wintersday in July began yesterday and will continue until July 31st. There are plenty of activities to enjoy, including the snowball arena. The game will also drop plenty of cool rewards like fruitcake. OK, the game will also drop plenty of cool rewards except for fruitcake, which is nasty and evil to its sticky core. So egg nog it up with your fellow Tyrians for the next week because the hot weather is coming back!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Thoughts about Guild Wars 2's living story
With Guild Wars 2's first multi-month living story arc drawing to a close, I thought this might be a good time to do a little bit of reflection on how the living story is treating Guild Wars 2 so far. Sure, what we've seen so far isn't necessarily indicative of the way things are always going to be, but it's a good starting point. (In fact, it's our only starting point. Unless, of course, you like rampant and foundless speculation as a starting point. This is, after all, the internet.) To expand the conversation a bit, I think we're including holiday updates as part of the living story. It's seasonal, but it also fits into the grander scheme of providing changing content to keep the world moving and to keep players engaged. That means that what we've seen to date includes all of Flame and Frost, Wintersday, Halloween, and the Lost Shores event. Also, I guess the Super Adventure Box? I mean, it's returning and it had a lore tie-in and stuff. Maybe? I'm not sold.
Flameseeker Chronicles: A visit from Toymaker Tixx
'Twas late in the night, and throughout Rata Sum not a creature was stirring -- no, not even one. The garlands were laid out, the decorations prepared, for, on the morrow, Wintersday would be there. The progeny slumbered, snug in their beds, while schematics of golems danced in their heads. I'd bid goodnight to my krewe and turned off my station and made myself ready for light hibernation when from outside my lab there arose such a clatter I sent my VAL-A to see what was the matter. It rose at my bidding and trundled outside and called out, "ALERT. DISTURBANCE UN-I-DEN-TI-FIED."
Flameseeker Chronicles: The Guild Wars 2 end-of-the-year awards
The end of the year seems to be a good time for awards -- all the cool kids are doing it, and Massively is nothing if not cool. Guild Wars 2 has been around long enough for me to have made some favorites. I've talked about features and things I loathe and love before, but now it's time to call out specific NPCs and instances, rather than general features. Before we get any further with this: These awards are purely my own opinion. Disagree with me? Great; write your own end-of-the-year awards. The more, the merrier.
Unwrapping the mystery of GW2's Wintersday boxes
You've heard plenty about it, from the history behind the holiday to the schedule of festivities. And now it is upon us! Yes folks, Wintersday in Guild Wars 2 is finally here with its assortment of seasonal activities and holiday-themed goodies. And among those goodies are special mystery gift boxes available in the gem store. What exactly comes in a mystery box? That's what Massively's Richie Procopio, aka Bog Otter, aimed to find out in his latest video. Richie understands that folks may be wary of spending their gems on the unknown. The boxes are said to contain up to five personalized Wintersday gifts plus an additional themed item as well as a chance to contain new minipets and rare, themed weapon skin tickets. But is it worth the risk? To give you a better idea of what random loot awaits fans in the mystery boxes, Richie -- rechristening himself Bog Guinea Pig -- took the risk upon himself and unwrapped a number of boxes for you in his video. Check out what gifts he received after the break.
Guild Wars 2's Wintersday content primer
Wintersday begins tomorrow, bringing joy and presents for all good Tyrians! A sneak peek video posted a few days ago did a great deal to get fans excited about the upcoming holiday, but now it's time to get a better idea of precisely what awaits us in this celebration of toys. Read on to learn all about Wintersday in Guild Wars 2!%Gallery-173269%
Guild Wars 2's Wintersday event schedule announced
The most wonderful time of the year is heading to Tyria this Friday, which is when ArenaNet will be kicking off Guild Wars 2's Wintersday celebrations. It all begins on Friday, December 14th, in Lion's Arch, where Zommoros the djinn will transform his home, the Mystic Forge, into a giant snow globe. There, players can take part in a new jumping puzzle (which happens to be a giant snowman), have snowball fights with other players, and be part of a chorus of holiday bells. But that's only the beginning. Each day after that, Toymaker Tixx will be making his way to each of the capital cities of Tyria, with each stop featuring new and exciting holiday activities. He'll begin in the Sylvari Grove on the 15th and end his journey in Lion's Arch. But of course, Tixx's being an Asura means that his toys probably aren't the most stable of constructions, and the holiday event will go out with a bang as the toys in Tixx's workshop go haywire, bringing about Toypocalypse! It's up to players to "defend Tixx's present-delivering dolyaks and the gigantic toy-making machine from waves of maniacal toys." So get on out there, Tyrians; spread some holiday cheer and save Wintersday.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Have a holly, jolly Wintersday
Wintersday is steadily creeping up on Tyria -- on both Tyrias, as it were: Guild Wars is getting its annual holiday decorations starting the 13th, and Guild Wars 2 will join in the festivities on the 14th. The holiday event lasts through January 2nd for Guild Wars and 3rd for Guild Wars 2, so maybe don't fret so much on when you're going to get in to enjoy the goings-on. That's a nice change from the somewhat abbreviated schedule of the October and November content updates. But be warned, hero: There's a war on Wintersday. Don't believe me? Read on to find out.
ArenaNet starts teasing details for the Guild Wars 2 Wintersday patch
Guild Wars 2 is just days away from the start of Wintersday festivities, which means it's time to start getting excited! Toymaker Tixx and his technomagical workshop will be touring Tyria to spread joy and good cheer. Skip below the cut to view the teaser video for the Wintersday patch. Wintersday isn't just bringing goodies for PvE lovers, however: a recent forum post talked about some of the changes that are coming to WvW. Players will get more advanced notification of new builds. Hitting Alt+F4 or some other quick escape while in a sticky WvW situation will result in instant character death and loot and XP for the attacking party. Walls and gates won't be instanty repaired anymore but will instead need to be built up a bit before they start providing defense. Finally, "Breakout events" will be added to the game to help teams that have no defensive structures. A much larger WvW update will be delivered in February.
Wintersday is coming to Guild Wars
Just because Guild Wars 2 is getting a big, exciting Wintersday patch doesn't mean that the original Guild Wars will be barren. Starting at 3:00 p.m. EST on December 13th, the game will have holiday decorations up in a few major cities. You'll be able to pick up Wintersday quests in Lion's Arch, Kamadan, and the Eye of the North. Snowball fights and tournaments will be making a comeback, as will the repeatable quests in the Secret Lair of the Snowmen. These activities will all be available until 3:00 p.m. EST on January 2nd. The finale event will run in Lion's Arch and Kamadan every three hours from 3:01 a.m. EST on January 1st until 3:01 a.m. EST on January 2nd. According to the official website, two brand-new costumes, representing Lyssa and Kormir, will be available. We're betting that's a clerical error, since you can go to the game's store and buy Lyssa and Kormir costumes right now.
Guild Wars 2 welcomes Wintersday next month
While hardcore Guild Wars players probably knew to expect it, the news that Wintersday is coming to Guild Wars 2 is welcome nevertheless! ArenaNet has just announced that the game's second holiday will be arriving on December 14th and will continue until January 3rd. Modern Wintersday is a Tyrian holiday that binds several different celebrations together with the mutual love of toys. An Asuran Santa Claus, Toymaker Tixx, will be traveling to all of the major cities to hand out toys to the good little boys and girls. And yes, that means you, even though you've been flirting with the "naughty list" this year. The official Wintersday page is sparse as of yet, but keen-eyed visitors can spot some cool pieces of concept art, including one of Tixx's awesome airship.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Why must they starve then drown us?
Today's Flameseeker Chronicles title comes to you courtesy of one of Massively's livestream team members, echoing the wails of many news-starved fans of all things Tyrian. In a classic case of 'be careful what you wish for," we got the Guild Wars 2 Mesmer, two enormous Q&A sessions with the devs, a bit of closed beta news, and Wintersday and new costumes in Guild Wars 1, all in just a few short days. I need to lie down. While I do that, follow along after the jump for a rundown of all the excitement of last week.
Guild Wars' Wintersday 2011 brings new costumes, holiday cheer
It's the most wonderful time of the year in Tyria because Wintersday 2011 has begun. And there's certainly no shortage of events for Guild Wars players looking to get into the Wintersday spirit. Lion's Arch, Kamadan, Ascalon City, and the Eye of the North will all provide players with holiday quests, while more pugnacious revelers can get into the spirit of the season with 8v8 snowball tournaments. As usual, players can take part in the annual Grenth vs. Dwayna holiday event in order to receive a spiffy Wintersday mask, and two new costumes are also available for purchase in the NCsoft store. The new costume sets, known as Augur of Kormir and Vision of Lyssa, are available for $6.99 US each. Players can also buy them as a bundle for the discounted price of $9.99 US, or they can shell out $29.99 US for the Limited Edition Pantheon Pack, which includes six deity-themed costumes. But act quickly! The limited edition pack is available only until January 16th. For the full details, head on over to Guild Wars' official Wintersday site. [Thanks to Tanek for the correction!]
Flameseeker Chronicles: Come one, come all. Except you.
Today's Flameseeker Chronicles is all about the current Guild Wars community: Elements I love, elements I dislike, and some I'm just unsure about. As with any older game community, you've got a wide variety of personalities and playstyles, and seeing how they mesh with the community at large is always interesting. It would be great if everyone moved through their social circles and the general population while never conflicting or disagreeing, but ... well, we all know how often that happens on the internet. So without further ado, follow me past the cut and let's take a look at some of the current standout groups in the Guild Wars community!
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite in-game winter holiday?
There's nothing better to cement the mood of the holidays than a cup of hot liquidy beverage, a roaring fireplace (or, lacking a fireplace, a carefully controlled indoor fireworks display), and an internet-capable computer that allows you access to your favorite MMOs. Of course, this is the time of year when most MMOs pull out their annual winter-themed holiday events, which are packaged in such a way to offend no one while calling on the spirit of the season. So granted that you're fond of these holidays, we want to know which MMO winter event is your fave? It's not as if you lack choices at this point: Frostfell, Yule Festival, Wookiee Life Day, Winter Veil, Wintersday, First Night, Frostburgh, Solorius, Attack of the Misfit Toys, Festivult, Snowflake Festival, Starlight Celebration, Midwinter Festival, Festival of the White Hart, Snowdays, Junkadoo, Festival of Gloriann... the list just goes on and on. For a bonus question, what are your winter event goals this year? Do you have your eye on a special prize, decoration or outfit? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
