Guild Wars 2 pre-purchase program is at last available for the taking as of today 10^th April 2012. Players opt to pre-purchase the Guild Wars 2 Collector’s Digital Editions or Digital Deluxe or Standard shall be given a sure-fire admission into the beta weekend happening as well as a 3-day initial advantage before launching. Players who pre-purchase game edition of any kind will be given an exclusive Hero’s Band as a windfall! It will provide their characters in Guild Wars 2 a wide-range of power enhancements.

There are 3 Guild Wars 2 versions available for pre-purchase:

THE STANDARD/DIGITAL EDITION:

• Guild Wars 2 serial code (to activate the game at launch)
• Guaranteed admission to Guild Wars 2 beta weekend happenings
• 3-day initial advantage to enter Guild Wars 2 at launching
• Limited and high-class ‘Hero’s Band’ in-game item

THE DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION:

• Consist of the digital features of the Standard Edition mentioned above with an additional 5 in-game items, as well as a Mistfire Wolf that fights together with players and also mini Rytlock who will escort them on their journeys through Tyria.

THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION:

• For a full experience of Guild Wars 2, the Collector’s Edition is all-inclusive of the contents you will find within the Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe editions, in addition:
• A hand-painted Rytlock Brimstone statue brandishing a blazing sword size: 25 cm
• The Making of Guild Wars 2— 112 page- hardback book
• The Best of Guild Wars 2 official Soundtrack COMPACT DISC
• A customized art frame portfolio, all-inclusive with the 5 Guild Wars 2 art designs
• Metal Box collectible

Players may opt to go to selected Guild Wars 2 retailers and place their pre-order. This will enable them to make a reservation of their copies of the game at launching. Pre-purchases vary from pre-order. While pre-purchase receive a 3-day head start, on the other hand, pre-order receive only one-day head start afore the launch. Furthermore, pre-purchasers can buy the game out-and-out prior to its release and earn amazing benefits via the pre-purchase program.

It’s arrived at last – signups for the Guild Wars 2 beta are now live! Get in there quick – there’s only a 48 hour window.

Head over to the signup page at https://beta.guildwars2.com/

The signup process is simple:

• download a customised version of dxdiag
• upload the summary of your machine configuration
• fill in a quick form, with your contact details, and details of your
• existing Guild Wars account and character

After the 48 hour window is closed, ArenaNet will sift through all applications, and then email out invites to the lucky few who will have access to the Guild Wars 2 beta.

Get out your fireworks and get ready to party – it’s time to ring in the Year of the Dragon, and celebrate the Guild Wars Canthan New Year.

As always during the Canthan New Year, the Shing Jea Boardwalk opens up, with games of chance and skill, along with the Dragon Arena and Rollerbeetle Racing.

It’s a great opportunity to work on your Lucky, Unlucky and Party Animal Title Tracks, as well as collecting Lunar Fortunes to try and pick up a limited edition Celestial Dragon miniature – just the thing to add to your Hall of Monuments.

The 2012 Canthan New Year Festival begins at noon Pacific (-8 GMT) on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 and will end at noon Pacific (-8 GMT) on Monday, February 6th, 2012. On Sunday, February 5th, the Celestial Dragon will appear in Shing Jea Monastery every three hours to sample Canthan cuisine.

You can find more details on the Guild Wars Canthan New Year 2012 at http://www.guildwars.com/events/ingame/canthannewyear2012/

As the nights close in and the weather gets colder, it’s time to party with the Guild Wars Wintersday festival.

This year we’re offering two brand new Wintersday costumes that represent the Tyrian gods Lyssa and Kormir. As always, the towns of Lion’s Arch, Droknar’s Forge, Ascalon City, Kamadan, and the Eye of the North will be decked out in Wintersday decorations. Visitors to Lion’s Arch, Kamadan, and the Eye of the North will be invited to participate in holiday quests, missions, and games, all with their own rewards.

This year, Wintersday begins at noon Pacific Time on Thursday, December 15, 2011, and run until noon on Monday, January 2, 2012. The Wintersday grand finale will take place in Lion’s Arch and Kamadan on New Year’s Day, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Pacific on Sunday, January 1, 2012, and repeating every three hours until 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, January 2, 2012.

You can read more about the yearly Guild Wars Wintersday festival – including the special events, unique costumes and items – at http://www.guildwars.com/events/ingame/wintersday2011/

It’s that time of year when Mad King Thorn once again pays a visit to Guild Wars – yes, it’s Halloween!

Halloween in Guild Wars this year sees the return of old favourites:

special Halloween quests
• the Costume Brawl PvP event
• Halloween themed Guild vs Guild events

Mad King Thorn will once again be visiting Kamadan and Lion’s Arch, handing out gifts and prizes during his deadly appearances.

The frightening festivities begin at noon, Pacific daylight time, on October 20 and run until 12:01 a.m. on November 2. The main events take place in Lion’s Arch and Kamadan, but you’ll find Halloween decor in outposts all over Tyria.

As always, this year’s Guild Wars Halloween festival has a dedicated page – head on over to http://www.guildwars.com/events/ingame/halloween/ to read more.

If you’ve been following the Guild Wars: Winds of Change storyline, you’ll be pleased to hear that the second part is now live in-game.

The Winds of Change page has been updated, with details on the new content and missions that are now available.

In the months that have followed the Ministry of Purity’s campaign against the Afflicted, Cantha has been blessed with renewed vigor and prosperity. The Afflicted have been vanquished, and the Jade Brotherhood and Am Fah are all but a distant memory. The traitorous Tengu have been exposed and routed. With the safety of all Canthans in mind, the Ministry now sets its sights on reforms to ensure a brighter future for all.

With new costumes and exclusive Imperial weapons, the Winds of Change storyline is building to a typical Guild Wars climax.

We first met the Asura in Guild Wars: Eye of the North. This diminutive magical race had fled their underground homes, and been forced to the surface by The Destroyer.

In Guild Wars 2, the Asura are a playable race, allowing you to take control of their awesome magical abilities, as well as their immense and almost indestructible Golems.

The Guild Wars 2 site now has an updated page on the Asura, featuring background lore, desktop wallpapers, videos, and more. Head on over to http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/races/asura/ to read more.

Once again Guild Wars players have another chance to take part in the Wintersday festivities, as the Snowball Arena opens once again for Wintersday in July.

The Snowball Arena opens up again, and players can collect Candy Cane Shards to trade in for Wintersday Gifts. You can also work on your Title Tracks by collected special Wintersday items

Looking for a midsummer cure for the too-much-sun blues? Jump into our Wintersday in July celebration! The party starts at noon Pacific on Friday, July 15 and lasts until 11:59 PM Pacific on Sunday, July 17.

Read more at the Wintersday in July page.

The next exciting instalment of Guild Wars Beyond has been launched. Winds of Change is a multi-stage storyline set in Cantha, featuring new quests, new Canthan costumes, and history-making battles.

Good people of Cantha, the time has come for you to take up arms. For too long now, our glorious lands have been tarnished, as they wither in the shadows of fear and helplessness. When Shiro the Betrayer returned, he brought with him the Affliction, and the plagued still walk these lands, spreading unabated. Great heroes rose up, and they sent the Betrayer back. But I ask you this: where are those heroes now? Where are they while the innocent seek what little shelter they can find, hoping to survive to see another day? Where is our great Empire, and what has it done to protect the people? When a voice cries out for help, do they even hear it from behind the palace walls?

Custom costumes are available in the Guild Wars InGame store – you can choose from either the Aegis of Unity Costume or the Dragonguard Costume – or get the Winds of Change Costume Pack and get both.

Eager adventurers wanting to get stuck in straight away need to head to Kaineng Center, and talk to Initiate Zei Ri.

Read more on Winds of Change by looking through the ArenaNet FAQ.

Jeff Grub, one of the Lore and Continuity Designers for Guild Wars 2, has posted up a long and detailed article about Dungeons in Guild Wars 2. Dungeons were first introduced in Guild Wars: Eye of the North, and provided a dangerous, repeatable, instanced challenge for players.

Dungeons in Guild Wars 2 build on this and – like Eye of the North - they’re not for beginners, being aimed at characters who have reached at least level 35.

Much like Eye of the North, dungeons in Guild Wars 2 are split into two modes – story mode (where the dungeon forms part of the story arc missions) and explorable mode (which is unlocked once the story mode dungeon has been completed). Story mode also will be affected by which race your character is playing, and which factions you have worked with.

The dungeon story mode tells the tale of the iconic characters—former members of the legendary band of adventurers known as Destiny’s Edge—Zojja, Logan, Rytlock, Caithe, and Eir. At the start of the game, each player gets to know the iconic of their race. If you are asuran, you will cross paths with Zojja; if you are human, you will earn the respect of Logan Thackeray. By about level 30, you are a trusted confidant of the iconic characters, and you realize that they have their own problems, centering on the tragic breakup of Destiny’s Edge.

You can read Jeff’s full article at Into The Dungeons: Guild Wars 2.