Guild Wars 2 Unveils ‘Flame And Frost’ Update

ArenaNet and NCsoft made a promise to add new content to Guild Wars 2 on a regular basis, and it looks like they are actually keeping their word. Today, the developers announced that the latest major content update for Guild Wars 2, the long awaited Flame and Frost Prelude, is now live on all servers.

Today’s update may be just what the doctor ordered to increase the enthusiasm for Guild Wars 2 in the online gaming community. The game quickly sold two million copies after the highly anticipated launch in August of 2012, but, once players began to reach the level cap, support for the game dwindled due to the lack of end game content.

Guild Wars 2 is still doing well despite the issues over the end game and perhaps this update will bring back some of the players who lost interest in the game. Certainly, Guild Wars 2 offers the smoothest leveling experience of any MMORPG and the PVP is world class. It is not beyond the ability of ArenaNet to add the necessary quests and dungeon raids needed to fill the gaps and appeal to gamers who are not hardcore PvP fans.

Judging by the official list of tweaks, fixes, and additions contained in the Flame and Frost Prelude, the developers are well aware of what they must do to take Guild Wars 2 to the next level. The team made a herculean effort to polish the game and their hard work is obvious in today’s update.

The gaming writers here at The Inquisitr have played the game since beta and we have always felt Guild Wars 2 is blessed with incredible potential. It is encouraging to see ArenaNet paying attention to the wishes of the player base and taking the necessary steps to improve the game.

Perhaps the best hint of the intentions of the developers is in the name of the update itself: Flame And Frost Prelude. A prelude is just a beginning, and it is a promise that there is still much more to come. Players and fans of Guild Wars 2 have been put on notice that this is only the beginning of a new direction to expand and enhance the game. We can’t wait to see what Arena Net has planned for Guild Wars 2 in the months ahead.

Here is the official announcement form the Guild Wars 2 Homepage:

FLAME & FROST PRELUDE

The sky falls and the ground shakes in the lands of the north. Charr and norn refugees crawl from the wreckage of their homes in the Wayfarer Foothills and Diessa Plateau, struggling to find shelter in the south. The call goes out for volunteers to assist the victims in this time of need, when earth and sky seem to have become the enemy…

Flame and Frost: Prelude is the prologue to a multi-stage narrative that will bring big changes to Guild Wars 2 in the months to come.

New Features:

Temple of the Silent Storm Week

From January 28—February 4 the regular eight-team/three-round paid tournaments will be replaced by two-team/single-round paid tournaments in the Temple of the Silent Storm map. After the week is over, we’ll add Temple of the Silent Storm to the regular rotation of both free and paid tournaments.

Improved Achievement System:

We’re adding a new rotation of daily achievements to add variety and encourage you to explore the open world. You’ll get different achievements every day of the week and a new achievement tracker in the UI to make it easier to track your progress.

New Achievement Laurels:

You’ll earn these brand-new laurels as a reward for daily and monthly achievements!

Redeem these laurels for rewards like the new Ascended gear and Infusions!

Guesting:

With the new guesting system, you can play with friends on other worlds in the same region (North America, Europe) without changing your homeworld. Guesting is free, but going forward there will be a gem fee for transferring home worlds, so make sure you’re on the home world you want to permanently play on before 28 January!

New Utility Infusions and Ascended Amulets:

We’re adding a wide range of new gear that can be purchased with the new laurels.

With 5 new Utility Infusions and 30 Ascended Amulets to choose from, there’s something for every style of player.

More Upgrades and Improvements:

We’re making a ton of other improvements to the game this month, such as enhanced performance in WvW, tweaks to the dynamic level adjustment system, and UI improvements, which will be detailed in our release notes.