ArenaNet:Developer updates/20071207

[Dev Update] Guild Wars: Eye of the North Trial and Blow-Out Event -- 7 December 2007
As you may have read in the Visit the Eye of the North for the Holidays event page, we are offering a five-hour, free trial of GW:EN, and will also enhance the fun by offering a bunch of special, in-game benefits starting at Noon Pacific on Friday, December 7, and running through 11:59 PM Pacific on Sunday, December 16. (These hours are -8 GMT.)

The five-hour trial begins when you enter the access key provided on the event page. The timer will run for the next five hours you spend playing Guild Wars, whether in GW:EN or one of the campaigns, so we encourage you to make the most of the trial by spending your time playing Eye of the North content. Go ahead—get up close and personal with the Norn, Asura, Dwarves, and even a Charr or two!

Players wondering about what will happen to objectives they accomplish and items they acquire during the trial period need not worry. After the preview, players will retain all items they found during their time in Eye of the North, along with any progress they made toward title tracks, and will receive credit for all completed quests. GW:EN Heroes and skills, however, will no longer be accessible until a Guild Wars: Eye of the North retail access key is added to the account.

Special note: during the trial, players who do not own a retail version of Guild Wars: Eye of the North can venture into the Hall of Monuments and display tapestries on their monuments, however they will not be able to register achievements on those monuments because that is a feature of the retail game. Players who make progress toward accomplishments and later enter a GW:EN retail key will receive credit for those accomplishments in Guild Wars 2.

When the trial ends, you will receive a message stating that the trial period has ended. At that time, or at any later date, if you wish to purchase Guild Wars: Eye of the North, you may go directly to the in-game store or the PlayNC store to add a GW:EN access key to your existing account. Alternatively, you may visit your favorite retailer and acquire a copy of Eye of the North. All options are shown [here]. Once your GW:EN access key is activated, you can resume your adventures in the lands of GW:EN.