Newsletter/July 2007

This page is a copy of an official ArenaNet newsletter. It is reproduced verbatim from the source and should not be modified, even to fix typos.

Purchase the GUILD WARS: EYE OF THE NORTH™ Prerelease Bonus Pack and Get Early Access to the Game!

Beginning July 20th, players will be able to purchase the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Prerelease Bonus Pack from their favorite retailers or online through PlayNC.com or the Guild Wars® Official (online) Store. The Prerelease Bonus Pack includes exclusive in-game items—the Glacial Blade, the Darksteel Longbow, and the Hourglass Staff—as well as early access to Eye of the North™ content during the Sneak Peek Weekend, August 24–26, 2007. Everything players gain during the Sneak Peek event will be permanent, including items, XP, Heroes, and loot.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North follows up on events told in the original Guild Wars campaign, and is set in previously unexplored areas of the continent of Tyria. The expansion contains a host of new features that will appeal directly to veteran Guild Wars players, including 18 large, multi-level dungeons, 150 new skills across all ten Guild Wars professions, ten new Heroes, 40 new armor sets, and more items, weapons, and titles. Additionally, through the innovative Hall of Monuments, Guild Wars: Eye of the North creates a path for players to carry the legacy of their characters into the upcoming Guild Wars 2™. The Hall of Monuments will allow players to preserve their accomplishments and titles from Guild Wars, Factions™, and Nightfall™, which can then be claimed in Guild Wars 2.

Learn more about Guild Wars: Eye of the North and get answers to common questions in our Eye of the North FAQ.

Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack Promotion
For a limited time, when you spend $29 USD (€26/£17) or more in the Official Guild Wars (online) Store, you will get a Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack* for free!

The Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack will allow you to play through four pivotal moments in Guild Wars history. Earn unique rewards as you go face-to-face with Palawa Joko and his undead army as one of the key figures in the Battle of Jahai. Experience part of Cantha’s turbulent past as you witness the violent Tengu Wars. Learn firsthand how the White Mantle rose to power in Kryta. And, finally, discover what became of Gwen after the Charr invaded her home and the Searing destroyed everything she’d ever known.

* The Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack will be released sometime between November 1 and November 30, 2007. The contents will then be permanently available to the accounts of those who spend $29 USD (€26/£17) or more in the Official Guild Wars (online) Store between 12 p.m. (Noon) PST July 5, 2007 and 12 p.m. (Noon) PST October 31, 2007. This promotion is limited to one per account. The Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack is not transferable and will only be applied to the account of the person who fulfills this promotion and will be accessible as long as the account remains in good standing.

Meet the People Who Make Guild Wars!
To coincide with the announced Sneak Peek weekend, August 24–26, for Guild Wars: Eye of the North, ArenaNet® and NCsoft® will hold a number of live events at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington.

If you're planning to attend the Penny Arcade Expo, swing by the ArenaNet booth and check out our PAX-exclusive multimedia "Art of Guild Wars" exhibit, win big in our $10,000 1v1 Sealed Play Tournament, get signed copies of your favorite Guild Wars art, and nab the Series 2 Guild Wars Collectible Skill Pins. (Pin supplies are limited, so arrive early!) If you're an aspiring artist, bring your portfolio for the chance to have it reviewed by an ArenaNet artist. You can also meet the devs and learn the history of ArenaNet and Guild Wars in our interactive panels. And, finally, party with us at our after-hours event at GameWorks on Saturday night.

Guild Wars $100,000 Tournament Series Continues
Congratulations to the May champions, Hearts of Ashes and Dust (GvG) and Piccolo Il (1v1), and the June champions, Virtual Dragons (GvG) and X Ekelon X (1v1) for winning their respective monthly AT championships! They have won their share of over $20,000 worth of prizes awarded so far!

If you haven't heard about the new automated tournaments (ATs) and the Guild Wars $100,000 Tournament Series, and want your chance to share in over $10,000 in prizes awarded each month, visit the Guild Wars website where you can learn more about the monthly tournaments, including payouts, schedules, and player and guild eligibility.

"Brand the Bosses" Contest Update
Our Community Team members are still digging themselves out—in a figurative sense, anyway—from under a heap of emailed entries in the "Brand the Bosses" 2007 contest. During June, we invited players from around the world to help us name some of the boss monsters in Guild Wars: Eye of the North. Thousands of entries later, we're still sorting the submissions—cute, clever, and infinitely creative—and readying them for the next level of judging. Thanks to all who entered, and look for the winner announcement by the end of July!

We'll be holding a local SuperFan contest to win tickets to our special Penny Arcade Expo party soon, and we'll also kick off another global contest next month. Hope to see your entry!

Guild Wars Wiki and In-Game Help
On May 24th, ArenaNet introduced a new beta feature for Guild Wars—in-game integration of the Guild Wars Wiki. Pressing F10 on your keyboard or typing /help into the Chat panel now opens a Help panel that includes links to the official Guild Wars Wiki, where you can find information about quests, missions, locations, skills, guilds, and more. Players can contribute content to the wiki to help other players, or create their own character or guild pages. Learn how to contribute or get answers to common questions at the wiki Welcome Center.