ArenaNet employees will be taking the next week off to spend time with our families. Thank you for making 2018 a great year! Here’s a look back at some of the adventures we’ve had:
Our first Friend/Ships event celebrated all kinds of bonds between the real people who play Guild Wars 2 together.
The second episode of Living World Season 4, “A Bug in the System,” introduced Sandswept Isles, the lost Olmakhan charr tribe, and the sinister Rata Primus complex.
Bessie the real-life griffon made her first appearance at PAX East 2018, and toured with us to several North American conventions.
Unlimited gathering tools saw major changes with the introduction of glyph upgrade components and tool skins in the wardrobe.
Super Adventure Festival bounced back to Rata Sum for another year. For the first time, exhausted jumping enthusiasts could take a rest by sitting in chairs.
Updates to underwater combat and rewards made this a terrible year for the krait.
The third episode of Living World Season 4, “Long Live the Lich,” sent Tyria’s champions to the Domain of Kourna for a showdown with the undead tyrant Palawa Joko—a journey made quicker with a new ally, the roller beetle mount!
Festival of the Four Winds brought back the peaceful Labyrinthine Cliffs and the pulse-pounding excitement of the Crown Pavilion.
Fans joined ArenaNet staff at San Diego Comic Con for food and fun.
Tyrians got their hands on three new weapons designed by players.
We added toys, musical instruments, tonics, and personal chairs to their own tidy storage section in the Hero panel.
Members of the development team traveled to Cologne, Germany, to hang out with fans at the community meet-and-greet.
We celebrated the sixth anniversary of Guild Wars 2‘s launch!
Bessie came home with us to Seattle where she made lots of friends at PAX West 2018. Guild Wars 2 Art Director Aaron Coberly and Seattle Cosplay teamed up for a live oil-painting session at the convention.
The fourth episode of Living World Season 4, “A Star to Guide Us,” revealed mysteries in Jahai Bluffs, opened up Sun’s Refuge, and gave raid enthusiasts an invitation to tour Zommoros’s Mystic Forge.
The Mad Realm crossed over into Tyria for Halloween, bringing back Reaper’s Rumble and introducing Mad King’s Raceway.
Our staff visited Paris Games Week, where fans got to ride Jean-Luc, a friendly real-world jackal mount.
ArenaNet participated in Extra Life for the second year in a row, burning through our fundraising goals during a 24-hour livestream! Thanks to our fantastic community, we were able to contribute $67,061 USD to benefit Children’s Miracle Network.
An update to runes and sigils brought extensive balance changes and gave players the ability to salvage them for new crafting components.
Roller beetle racing zoomed into the hearts of Tyrian speed demons, with new in-game rewards and a chance to win real-world prizes.
Our Creative Partners dreamed up fourteen new guild emblems, just in time for the holidays.
Wintersday arrived in a flurry of snow and wonder, along with a new ten-player festive instance, the Secret Lair of the Snowmen.
We’ll return on January 2, 2019—just in time for the fifth episode of Living World Season 4, “All or Nothing,” to arrive on January 8. See you next year!
