Creature skill bars affected by the February 25^th update have been updated.

Glimmering Mark

• Charged Blackness now uses Lightning Surge instead of Glimmering Mark.

Obsidian Flesh

• Bizzr Ironshell now also uses Icy Prism.
• Harn Coldstone still uses Obsidian Flesh, but now uses Rust instead of Conjure Frost, and also uses Glyph of Lesser Energy and Shard Storm.
• Mantis Stormcaller now also uses Icy Prism.
• Shekoss the Stony now also uses Ebon Hawk.
• Whyk Steelshell now also uses Lava Arrows.

Barbed Signet

• Mandragor Imp (Level 3) now uses Blood of the Aggressor instead of Barbed Signet.

Jaundiced Gaze

• Afflicted Necromancer (Level 14) now uses Blood Drinker instead of Jaundiced Gaze.
• Fungal Wallow now uses Vampiric Gaze instead of Jaundiced Gaze.
• Rot Foulbelly now uses Vampiric Gaze instead of Jaundiced Gaze.
• Rot Wallow now uses Vampiric Gaze instead of Jaundiced Gaze.

Renewing Surge

• Lieutenant Kayin now uses Spirit Boon Strike instead of Renewing Surge.

Dwarven Battle Stance

• Boulder Elemental now uses Crude Swing in normal and Hard modes.
• Boulder Elemental (Hard mode) now uses Warrior's Endurance instead of Dwarven Battle Stance.
• Dwarven Ghost now uses Warrior's Endurance instead of Dwarven Battle Stance.
• Hulking Stone Elemental now uses Crude Swing in normal and Hard modes.
• Hulking Stone Elemental (Hard mode) now uses Warrior's Endurance instead of Dwarven Battle Stance.
• Krak Flamewhip (Warrior) now uses Devastating Hammer instead of Dwarven Battle Stance.
• Summit Beastmaster (Hard mode) now uses Devastating Hammer instead of Dwarven Battle Stance.
• Summit Giant Herder now uses Devastating Hammer instead of Dwarven Battle Stance.

Fierce Blow

• Sunreach Warmaker now also uses Staggering Blow.

Overbearing Smash

• Berserking Minotaur now uses Auspicious Blow instead of Overbearing Smash.
• Malfunctioning Enduring Golem now uses Irresistible Blow instead of Overbearing Smash.
• TPS Regulator Golem now uses Auspicious Blow instead of Overbearing Smash.

Renewing Smash

• Deldrimor Dwarves (Eye of the North)
• Dwarven Soldier now uses Staggering Blow instead of Renewing Smash.
• King Jalis Ironhammer now uses Crude Swing instead of Renewing Smash.
• Orozar Highstone now uses Irresistible Blow instead of Renewing Smash.
• Transformed Soldier now uses Staggering Blow instead of Renewing Smash.
• Ural Highstone now uses Irresistible Blow instead of Renewing Smash.

• Stone Summit Dwarves (Eye of the North)
• Marln Steelfist now uses Staggering Blow instead of Renewing Smash.
• Stone Summit Crusher now uses Staggering Blow instead of Renewing Smash.
• Stone Summit Pounder now uses Mighty Blow instead of Renewing Smash.
• Taskmaster Durgon now uses Staggering Blow instead of Renewing Smash.

Shove

• Sickened Guard (Ranger) in Hard mode now uses Quick Shot instead of Shove.

Yeti Smash

• The AI now uses Yeti Smash more intelligently.
• Abyssal (Domain of Anguish) now uses Overbearing Smash instead of Yeti Smash.
• Arrahhsh Mountainclub (Jade Sea) now also uses Staggering Blow.
• Crystal Ettin now uses Crude Swing instead of Yeti Smash.
• Devona (Factions) still uses Yeti Smash, but now uses Staggering Blow instead of Mighty Blow.
• Eldritch Ettin now uses Crude Swing instead of Yeti Smash.
• First Inscribed now also uses Belly Smash.
• Paranoia Ettin now uses Crude Swing instead of Yeti Smash.
• Yeti (Jade Sea) now also uses Staggering Blow.

• Ilidus of the Empty Palm no longer uses Black Lotus Strike or Shadow Refuge, and now uses Fox Fangs, Golden Lotus Strike, and Nine Tails Strike instead.
• Luxon Assassin now uses Fox Fangs instead of Black Lotus Strike.
• Senkai, Lord of the 1,000 Daggers Guild now also uses Enduring Toxin, Fox Fangs, and Repeating Strike.
• Shreader Sharptongue now also uses Fox Fangs and Mantis Touch.

• Fixed a bug that prevented Soul Twisting from refreshing the number of remaining Binding Rituals when it was reapplied.
• Fixed a bug that caused Urgoz to apply Binding Chains for 30 seconds.
• Fixed a bug that allowed players to Shadow Step past portals in Slavers' Exile.
• Fixed a bug that awarded completion of the Admiral Kantoh Zaishen Bounty quest for killing the Acolyte of Balthazar.

• Updated the Automated Tournament map rotation.

• Fixed a minor crash bug related to the recent skill balance.
• Promised the purple squad's Siege Turtle a carrot so it would stay on the path.

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

Assassin

• Fox's Promise: changed attribute dependence to Dagger Mastery.
• Seeping Wound: fixed a bug that caused damage from Seeping Wound to be affected by armor; decreased casting time to 1/4 second; decreased to half range; changed functionality to: "Elite Hex Spell. For 1...6...7 seconds, target foe moves 50% slower. That foe takes 10...30...35 damage each second while suffering from a condition. This spell has half the normal range."
• Shadow Form: decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased recharge to 30; changed functionality to: "Elite Enchantment Spell. For 5...18...21 seconds, you cannot be the target of enemy spells, and you gain 5 damage reduction for each Assassin enchantment on you. You cannot deal more than 5...21...25 damage with a single skill or attack."
• Shattering Assault: changed attribute dependence to Critical Strikes; increased recharge to 6 seconds.

Dervish

• Featherfoot Grace: decreased condition expiration bonus to 25%.
• Pious Concentration: increased Energy cost to 10; increased recharge to 10 seconds.

Elementalist

• Glimmering Mark: decreased damage to 5...21...25 damage per second; damage is no longer lighting damage; damage now ignores armor.
• Obsidian Flesh: increased Energy cost to 25; removed the movement penalty; changed functionality to: "Elite Enchantment Spell. For 8...18...20 seconds, you gain +20 armor and cannot be the target of enemy spells, but cannot attack and have -2 Energy degeneration."

Mesmer

• Power Block: decreased disabling time to 1...8...12 seconds.

Monk

• Holy Wrath: removed upkeep cost; reduced casting time to 1 second; changed functionality to: "Enchantment Spell. (10...26...30 seconds). The next 1...8...10 times target other ally takes attack damage, this Spell deals 66% of the damage back to the source (maximum of 5...41...50 damage)."
• Light of Deliverance (PvP): added the following functionality: "All your Smiting Prayers are disabled for 20 seconds."
• Spell Breaker: changed functionality to: "Elite Enchantment Spell. For 5...15...17 seconds, target ally cannot be the target of enemy spells."

Necromancer

• Barbed Signet: increased Health sacrifice to 15%; decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased recharge to 10 seconds; changed functionality to: "Signet. (1...16...20 seconds.) Whenever you cast a Necromancer spell on a foe, that foe suffers from Bleeding for 2...13...16 seconds."
• Blood Bond: increased recharge time to 8 seconds; changed functionality to: "Hex Spell. Also hexes foes adjacent to your target (3...10...12 seconds). Allies hitting these foes gain 5...17...20 Health. If any of these foes dies while hexed, adjacent allies are healed for 20...84...100."
• Blood of the Aggressor: removed Health sacrifice; increased recharge to 5 seconds; changed functionality to: "Spell. Steal up to 5...37...45 Health from target foe. If that foe was attacking, that foe suffers Weakness for 3...10...12 seconds."
• Blood Renewal: decreased Health sacrifice to 15%; decreased recharge to 7 seconds; decreased duration to 7 seconds.
• Demonic Flesh: removed Health sacrifice; increased Energy cost to 5; decreased recharge to 30 seconds; changed functionality to: "Enchantment Spell. (30...54...60 seconds.) Whenever you use a skill that targets a foe, you deal 5...17...20 shadow damage to all other foes adjacent to you."
• Jaundiced Gaze: removed Health sacrifice; increased recharge time to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "Enchantment Spell. Remove an enchantment from target foe. If an enchantment was removed, for the next 1...12...15 seconds, your next enchantment spell casts 0...1...1 seconds faster and costs 1...8...10 less Energy."
• Life Siphon: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge to 5 seconds.
• Mark of Fury: decreased casting time to 3/4 second; changed functionality to: "Hex Spell. (5 seconds.) Allies hitting target foe gain 0...2...2 strikes of adrenaline. End effect: inflicts Cracked Armor (1...12...15 seconds)."
• Necrosis: changed skill type to "Skill."
• Oppressive Gaze: decreased Energy cost to 10; decreased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge to 10 seconds; changed functionality to: "Spell. Target foe and adjacent foes take 10...26...30 shadow damage. Foes already suffering from a condition are Poisoned and Weakened for 5...17...20 seconds."
• Ravenous Gaze: added Health sacrifice of 8%; decreased Energy cost to 1; increased recharge time to 10 seconds; changed functionality to: "Elite Spell. Deals 15...27...30 damage and steals 15...27...30 Health from target and nearby foes."

Paragon

• Aggressive Refrain: removed application of Cracked Armor; added the following functionality: "You have -20 armor."
• Soldier's Fury: removed application of Cracked Armor; added the following functionality: "You have -20 armor."

Ranger

• Crippling Shot: increased Cripple duration to 1...8...10. removed the following functionality: "This arrow moves twice as fast."
• Heal as One: decreased recharge time to 5 seconds; changed functionality to: "Elite Skill. For 15 seconds, your animal companion steals 1...16...20 Health whenever it hits with an attack. You and your companion are both healed for 20...87...104 Health. If your companion is dead, it's resurrected with 50% Health. If you have this skill equipped, your companion will travel with you."
• Heal as One (PvP): split for PvP; no change from current functionality.

Ritualist

• Ancestors' Rage: increased recharge to 10 seconds; damage now ignores armor.
• Anguished Was Lingwah: decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased casting time to 2 seconds; changed attribute dependence to Spawning Power; changed functionality to: "Item Spell. (10...54...60 seconds). Your Ritualist Hexes cost 1...4...5 less Energy and last 33% longer. Drop effect: Your Ritualist Hexes are all recharged."
• Binding Chains: reduced Energy cost to 10; reduced activation to 1 second; reduced recharge to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "Hex Spell. For 3 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes move 90% slower and take 1...24...30 damage each second while moving."
• Cruel Was Daoshen: increased activation time to 2 seconds; increased recharge time to 30 seconds; decreased damage dealt to 10...82...100; added the functionality: "Your Ritualist skills have 10% armor penetration."
• Destruction: increased Energy cost to 10; increased recharge time to 20 seconds; increased damage to 5...21...25 damage (maximum: 150) for each second the Spirit was alive.
• Destruction (PvP): increased Energy cost to 10; increased recharge time to 20 seconds; increased damage to 1...8...10 damage (maximum: 150) for each second the Spirit was alive.
• Destructive Was Glaive: decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased casting time to 3/4 second; decreased recharge time to 5 seconds; increased armor penetration to 20%.
• Destructive Was Glaive (PvP): split for PvP; no change from current functionality.
• Dulled Weapon: decreased duration to 5...13...15 seconds; increased Energy cost to 15; increased recharge to 20 seconds; changed functionality to: "Hex Spell. For 5...13...15 seconds, target foe and all adjacent foes cannot achieve a critical hit and deal 1...12...15 less damage."
• Gaze from Beyond: decreased casting time to 1 second; changed functionality to: "Spell. Target foe is struck for 20...56...65 lightning damage. That foe is Blinded for 2...5...6 seconds if you are within earshot of a spirit."
• Lamentation: increased Energy cost to 10; decreased recharge to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "Hex Spell. For 5...17...20 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes suffer 0...2...3 Health degeneration. When this hex is applied, these foes take 10...42...50 damage if you are within earshot of a spirit or corpse."
• Renewing Surge: increased recharge to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "Hex Spell. (8 seconds.) Deals 2...10...12 damage each second. End effect: You gain 1...7...8 Energy."
• Resilient Weapon: reduced duration to 3...10...12; increased recharge to 6.
• Ritual Lord: removed Energy cost; added Health sacrifice of 2%; increased recharge time to 45 seconds; changed functionality to: "Elite Skill. For 5...29...35 seconds, your Ritualist attributes are boosted by 2...4...4 for your next skill. If that skill is a Binding Ritual, it recharges 10...51...60% faster and Ritual Lord recharges instantly."
• Ritual Lord (PvP): removed from play; functionality for Ritual Lord is now the same in both PvE and PvP.
• Signet of Creation: decreased recharge time to 20 seconds; changed functionality to: "Signet. You gain 4 Energy for every summoned creature you control within earshot, maximum 3...10...12 Energy."
• Signet of Creation (PvP): removed from play; functionality for Signet of Creation is now the same in both PvE and PvP.
• Signet of Spirits: decreased damage to 5...21...25; increased recharge time to 30 seconds.
• Soul Twisting: changed attribute dependence to Spawning Power; changed functionality to "Elite Skill. For 5...37...45 seconds, your Binding Rituals cost 15 less Energy (minimum 10) and recharge instantly. Soul Twisting ends after 1...3...3 Binding Rituals."
• Spirit Boon Strike: decreased healing and damage dealt to 20...56...65; decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased activation time to 1 second; decreased recharge time to 3 seconds; changed functionality to: "Spell. Target foe is struck for 20...56...65 lightning damage, and all Spirits you control within earshot gain 20...56...65 Health."
• Spirit Burn: increased Burning duration to 1...4...5 seconds.
• Spirit Channeling: increased duration to 12 seconds; changed functionality to: "Elite Enchantment Spell. (12 seconds.) You have + 1...5...6 Energy regeneration. Initial effect: you gain 3...10...12 Energy if you are within earshot of a spirit."
• Spirit Rift: changed functionality to: "Spell. Open a Spirit Rift at target foe's location. After 3 seconds, all adjacent foes are struck for 25...113...135 lightning damage and suffer from Cracked Armor for 1...16...20 seconds."

Warrior

• "Charge!": added the following functionality: "Initial effect: allies in earshot lose the Crippled condition."
• "Fear Me!": added the following functionality: "For 1...12...15 seconds, your melee attacks gain +5...25...30% chance of a critical hit against stationary foes."
• "None Shall Pass!": decreased Energy cost to 5; changed functionality to: "Shout. All nearby foes that are moving are knocked down. Recharges 1...7...8 seconds faster for each affected foe. (Maximum 25 seconds faster.)"
• "To the Limit!": decreased recharge time to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "Shout. For each foe within earshot (maximum 1...5...6), you gain one strike of adrenaline. For 10...18...20 seconds, you have +10...50...60 health."
• Auspicious Blow: decreased adrenaline cost to 5; changed functionality to: "Hammer Attack. Deals +5...17...20 damage and you gain 3...7...8 Energy. Unblockable if target foe is Weakened."
• Auspicious Parry: changed functionality to: "Elite Stance. For 8 seconds, the next attack against you is blocked. When this stance ends, you gain 1...3...4 strikes of adrenaline."
• Backbreaker: decreased adrenaline cost to 9; changed functionality to: "Elite Hammer Attack. If Backbreaker hits, you strike for +1...16...20 damage and your target is knocked down. This knockdown lasts 4 seconds if you have at least 8 Strength."
• Belly Smash: decreased recharge time to 10 seconds; decreased duration of Blindness to 3...6...7 seconds.
• Crude Swing: removed the following functionality: "You have -40 armor while using this skill."
• Dwarven Battle Stance: decreased Energy cost to 5; changed functionality to: "Elite Stance. For 5...10...11 seconds, if you are wielding a hammer, you attack 33% faster, you gain +40 armor, and your attack skills interrupt foes when they hit."
• Defensive Stance: removed Energy cost; added adrenaline cost of 5; decreased recharge to 8 seconds; changed functionality to: "Stance. For 1...4...5 seconds, you have a 75% chance to block. When this stance ends, gain 1 strike of adrenaline for each melee attack skill you have. (Maximum 0...3...4)"
• Deflect Arrows: removed Energy cost; added adrenaline cost of 5; increased recharge to 12 seconds; changed functionality to: "Stance. For 1...5...6 seconds, you have a 75% chance to block. Whenever you block a projectile, adjacent foes suffer from Bleeding for 5...13...15 seconds."
• Earth Shaker: all players less than a stone's throw away will see the effect of your mighty swing.
• Fierce Blow: changed functionality to: "Hammer Attack. If this attack hits, you strike for +5...17...20 damage. If you hit a foe suffering from Weakness, you inflict a Deep Wound for 1...7...8 seconds."
• Forceful Blow: decreased adrenaline cost to 4; changed functionality to: "Elite Hammer Attack. Unblockable. If Forceful Blow hits, target foe's stance ends, you strike for +10...34...40 damage, and your target foe is Weakened for 5...17...20 seconds."
• Grapple: changed the order of effects to knock down before ending your stance.
• Overbearing Smash: removed adrenaline cost; added Energy cost of 5; added recharge time of 20 seconds; changed functionality to: "Hammer Attack. Deals +1...16...20 damage. If it hits a knocked-down foe, this attack is unblockable, and that foe is dazed for 1...7...8 seconds."
• Primal Rage: removed Energy cost; decreased recharge time to 10 seconds; added adrenaline cost of 4.
• Renewing Smash: decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased activation time to 1 second; increased recharge time to 30 seconds; changed functionality to: "Hammer Attack. If it hits, Renewing Smash deals +10...34...40 damage. If you hit a knocked-down foe, you gain 3 Energy, and this skill instantly recharges."
• Renewing Smash (PvP): split for PvP; decreased Energy cost to 5; increased recharge time to 30 seconds; changed functionality to: "Hammer Attack. If it hits, Renewing Smash deals +5...17...20 damage. If you hit a knocked-down foe, you gain 3 Energy and this skill instantly recharges."
• Shield Stance: changed functionality to: "Stance. For 1...5...6 seconds, while using a shield, you have a 75% chance to block and have two points of damage reduction for each rank of Strength (maximum 15)."
• Shove: reduced recharge to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "Elite Skill. Target touched foe is knocked down. If that foe was moving, that foe's stance ends and that foe takes 15...63...75 damage before being knocked down."
• Soldier's Defense: increased recharge to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "Stance. For 1...5...6 seconds, you have a 75% chance to block attacks while under the effects of a shout or chant. You gain 1 strike of adrenaline for each blocked attack."
• Soldier's Speed: reduced recharge to 12 seconds; changed functionality to: "Stance. For 3...15...18 seconds you move 15% faster. You move an additional 15% faster while affected by a chant or shout."
• Soldier's Stance: increased recharge to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "Elite Stance. For 5...13...15 seconds, you have a 75% chance to block. You attack 33% faster when under the effects of a chant or shout."
• Soldier's Stance (PvP): split for PvP; no change from current functionality.
• Staggering Blow: decreased adrenaline cost to 4; decreased activation time to 1 second.
• Thrill of Victory: changed functionality to: "Melee Attack. If this blow hits, you deal +20...36...40 damage. If you have more health than target foe, you gain 1...2...2 strikes of adrenaline."
• Yeti Smash: increased adrenaline cost to 7; decreased activation time to 1 second; changed functionality to: "Hammer Attack. Lose all adrenaline. Attack all adjacent foes. If this attack strikes a foe suffering from a condition, that foe is knocked down. (50% failure chance with Hammer Mastery 4 or less.)"

• Blenkeh [Motivation Henchman] no longer uses Mending Refrain, she now uses Mending Refrain (PvP).
• Lulu Xan [Magebane Henchman] no longer uses Lightning Reflexes, she now uses Lightning Reflexes (PvP).
• Luxon Warriors in Fort Aspenwood no longer use Renewing Smash, they now use Renewing Smash (PvP).
• Nuno [Spirit Henchman] no longer uses Death Pact Signet, she now uses Death Pact Signet (PvP).

• Fixed a text bug in Buk Dirayne's dialog.
• Fixed a text bug in the concise description for Reversal of Damage.
• Changed the concise description for Smoldering Embers to more accurately reflect the function of the skill.
• Changed the concise description for Vampiric Swarm to more accurately reflect the function of the skill.
• Changed the description for Deny Hexes to more accurately reflect the function of the skill.
• Changed the description for Eremite's Zeal to more accurately reflect the function of the skill.
• Changed the description for "Save Yourselves!" to more accurately reflect the function of the skill.
• Changed the descriptions for Rust to more accurately reflect the function of the skill.
• Updated shout titles to be more consistent:
• The following skills now have quotation marks in their name: "Charge!", "Fear Me!", "For Great Justice!", "For Great Justice!" (PvP), "I Will Avenge You!", "I Will Survive!", "Let's Get 'Em!", "Mmmm. Snowcone!", "Shields Up!", "To the Limit!", "Victory Is Mine!", "Watch Yourself!", and "Watch Yourself!" (PvP).
• Touch of Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh no longer has quotation marks in its name.

• Added support for a final, one-time distribution of Tournament Reward Points related to the retirement of the Xunlai Tournament House.

• Fixed a crash bug related to Lion Masks.

• Made minor fixes to festival preparations in hopes of pleasing the Celestial Tiger.

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotation.

• Preparations have been made for the coming of the Celestial Tiger.

• Fixed a bug that caused Precision Shot to end a target's stance if hit.
• Fixed a bug that caused Quick Shot to temporarily disable the user's other attack skills.
• Fixed a text bug in the concise description for Needling Shot.
• Fixed a text bug in the description for Reversal of Fortune.
• Fixed a URL in the password-reset confirmation message.

Today's live update focuses on creature skill bars impacted by the February 25^th update. Check out the update notes for full details!

Come meet three fantastic ArenaNet artists at Seattle's Emerald City ComiCon on March 13^th and 14^th! Katy Hargrove, Kristen Perry, and Matt Barrett will be hanging out all weekend in Artist's Alley. For more details about each of them (and what they'll have to offer at the show), head over here.

If you're in town Saturday night and want to hang out with some ArenaNet devs, here's your chance! Check out our Facebook event page for more information.

This weekend, the [KISS] Alliance will host an epic riddle-based marathon through Guild Wars! Find out more in Community News!

It's one of the biggest skill updates we've ever done! We've addressed a wide range of game balance issues such as Shadow Form, Hammer Mastery in PvE, the role of the Ritualist in PvE, and much more. For an overview of the update, head here. For more detailed info about the skill changes, head on over to this month's developer's update.

It's almost here! Ghosts of Ascalon, the first original Guild Wars novel, hits bookshelves this summer! An epic tale written by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb, Ghosts of Ascalon helps to set the stage for the release of Guild Wars 2. Head over here to learn more!

Massively interviewed twelve of the most influential women in MMO game development, including our very own Linsey Murdock and Katy Hargrove! Read the first of the fascinating multi-part interview here.

World-builder extraordinaire Jeff Grubb sat down with Ten Ton Hammer to discuss the lore of Guild Wars 2. Jeff talks about Elder Dragons, gods, dwarves, and more—read the interview here!

Shing Jea Monastery has completed preparations for the annual Canthan New Year festival! Starting at Noon Pacific (-8 GMT), it's time to put on your party mask and join in all of the holiday festivities, games, and quests. For complete details, head over to our special event page.

In this edition of Community News, you're invited to The Brotherhood of Shadows Alliance Tiger Feast! Plus, we've got a great new Guild Wars blog for you to check out. Read more in Community News!

Massively.com has posted "Making it as an MMO Blogger", a fascinating interview with nine community managers - including our very own Regina Buenaobra - about what it takes to build a successful MMO blog. Check out the first of the two-part series right here!

In this week's Community News, we provide details about Gaming World Events, who will host an in-game event to help raise money for the Canadian Red Cross and their relief efforts in Haiti. Head over here to find out more about this event and other cool stuff happening in the community.

The Year of the Tiger is upon us! We've posted an overview of all the fantastic stuff we have planned for the Canthan New Year's Festival, which begins on Friday, February 12^th. For a detailed look at the festival, check out Massively's comprehensive guide right here!

In this update, we've got some exciting news to share from several of our fan sites. Read more in Community News!

In today's live update, we've focused on resolving several pressing PvP skill balance issues, making refinements to the Codex Arena, and making GvG participation a little easier. Head on over to our newest Developer Update to learn more!

Wintersday comes twice this year! Due to Grentchy technical issues with the Festival Hat distribution during the Wintersday finale earlier this month, we're hosting a special encore festival, complete with all the Wintersday activities you love!

Wintersday Redux begins at noon Pacific time (-8 GMT) on Friday, January 29^th and runs until 11:59 PM Pacific time on Sunday, February 7^th. During the big finale, everyone will get another chance to pick up a Wintersday Festival Hat. If you can't make it to the finale, look for special holiday collectors who will exchange Festival Hats for Candy Cane Shards!

Check out our Wintersday page for more info.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2009 Wintersday Art Contest and a warm thank you to everyone who entered! Find out who won right here!

Witness the creation of a gallery's worth of art—in real time! FuturePoly's Digital Arts Workshop is a fascinating 5-hour live art demonstration featuring some of the gaming industry's top talent. In this interactive workshop, ArenaNet artists Daniel Dociu, Kekai Kotaki, Matthew Barrett, and more will discuss their technique and create beautiful pieces of digital art, from sketch to completion. A portion of every ticket sale goes to the amazing charity Child's Play.

The Digital Arts Workshop takes place on Saturday, January 23^rd at Bellevue College's Paccar Auditorium in Bellevue, WA. To register or learn more, visit the FuturePoly website.

We saved the best for last—this impressive papercraft model of the Avatar of Dwayna is ready to grace your tree or desk with her serene presence. It's the biggest model we've ever done! Click here to get started.

Our fantastic player community has a bunch of great events in store for the Wintersday season! Read the latest Community News for details!

The preparations for our annual Wintersday celebration begin today! Starting tomorrow and running until January 4^th, Wintersday festivities will sweep across Tyria like a chill wind from the Shiverpeaks. Here's what revelers can expect this year:

• Brand-new for 2009—a unique set of Wintersday costumes are now available in the In-Game Store and the NCsoft Store! Head over to our new costumes page to read all of the details.


• You've spoken, and we've listened! Costume slots have been added to the character portrait. Now, you can wear costumes over your armor, meaning you can look fabulous in your Dwayna costume or festival hat without sacrificing protection! Learn the details here.


• Starting tomorrow, our annual Wintersday festival will bring loads of seasonal treats, festive decorations, holiday quests, snowball tournaments, and more! Check out our Wintersday 2009 page for more information.

Do you follow us on Facebook or Twitter? If not, you should! Over the next few days, we'll be spreading extra Wintersday cheer with early presents for some of our lucky friends and followers. Simply friend us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter (if you don't already, of course), and then watch our updates on these sites for further details. Good luck and happy Wintersday from all of us!

We've posted a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the voice acting behind Guild Wars 2, featuring top-tier talents like Felicia Day and Steve Blum! Check it out on our Facebook page or YouTube channel.

Wintersday is almost here! Soon, cities and towns all across Tyria will be decked out in splendid holiday decor, enchanted snowman henchmen will serve your adventuring needs, and vendors will be selling all manner of Wintersday consumables.

The festivities begin on December 18^th and run until January 4^th, so be sure to clear your calendars! Head over to our Wintersday 2009 event page for all of the details.

Check out this week's holiday papercraft: rollerbeetles! These speedy little bugs are waiting to be printed out and assembled. Make a whole pack of them! Click right here and we'll show you how.

Following the release of the new Guild Wars 2 video, we sat down with MMORPG.com to discuss the races of Tyria, GW2's massive game world, and more! Read the whole thing right here.

This week's holiday papercraft model is the ubiquitous, flightless moa bird! Normally these birds are the size of ponies and fond of pecking, but these paper moas are small and harmless! Make yours today—we'll show you how right here!

In this edition of Community News, we've got a new fan-made video for you to check out, and the glorious return of the Guild Wars Advent Calendar from Wartower.de! For details, click through to Community News.

Just in time for the holidays—a collection of charming papercraft Guild Wars models! We've got paper moa birds, rollerbeetles, a tiny Gwen doll, and a brand-new surprise model that you'll just have to see! They'd all make great tree ornaments.

Print out and make your own paper models—we'll show you how! Click here to get started!

Spread some holiday spirit and share your creativity with the Guild Wars community! Enter our annual Wintersday Art Contest, which starts today! Head over to this year's contest page for more details.

The holidays are fast approaching, so we'll help you celebrate a little early! Starting today, when you buy any Guild Wars campaign from the In-Game Store or the NCsoft store, you'll receive Eye of the North for FREE! This special holiday offer ends January 5, 2010—get yours today!

Until January 4^th, whenever you buy The Art of Guild Wars 2 from the Penny Arcade store, you'll receive a free limited edition Guild Wars art print. Choose from three awesome pieces of signed concept art from award-winning ArenaNet artists. Hurry over to the Penny Arcade store today!

Something stirs in the Underworld. Something ancient, powerful, and utterly evil: Dhuum. Banished eons ago by Grenth, this dark avatar of death has bided his time and grown in power. Now, Dhuum is free! We've added this terrifying new end boss to the Underworld—face him if you dare.

To find out what other updates we've made today, be sure to check out the rest of the update notes.

The Order of the Phoenix Alliance invites you to attend their autumn celebration, the Soiree at the Sanctum on November 14^th in the Imperial Sanctum! To learn more about this special event, check out this week's Community News.

The fourth annual MMO Calendar is now available, featuring original artwork from the hottest current and upcoming MMOs—including an awesome piece of Guild Wars 2 artwork from our very own Kekai Kotaki! 100% of the proceeds go directly to the good people at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. You get a fantastic calendar and get to support a great cause at the same time—it's a win/win!

Plus, everyone who purchases a calendar will be entered in a drawing to win cool MMO prizes, including a boxed copy of the Guild Wars Trilogy. Head over to http://www.mmocalendar.com and order yours today!

It was a tough decision, but we have selected the Halloween Art Contest winners from a field of fantastic entries. Thank you to all who participated! Check out the winning art right here.

Are you an outstanding web developer with a passion for MMOGs? Why not join our team? Qualified candidates will be passionate, creative team players who produce high quality JavaScript code and love agile development. ASP.NET and ASP.NET MVC experience is a huge plus. Check out our job listing for more details!

This edition of Community News spotlights some awesome player events: the monthly Ascension Show on Sanitarium.fm, a Halloween update to Healbot Blues, and a video contest by InfestedHydralisk! See our Community News for more!

Halloween is nearly here, and we have some frightfully fantastic player-organized events coming up. But that's not all! For you bloggers out there, one of our fan sites has created a Guild Wars theme for WordPress. Plus: Guild Wars fan fiction for the iPhone! Come check it out!

Today's update is now live! Here's a sample of what you'll find in the new build:

• We've got tricks and treats galore and new quests to explore during the 2009 Halloween Event, which starts tomorrow! Head over to our event page for more details.


• A new PvP format is now available! Learn more about the brand-new Codex Arena here!

To read all of the details, be sure to check out the rest of the update notes.

Halloween is coming, so prepare for ten days of mayhem, mirth, and the Mad King! Festivities kick off on Friday, October 23^rd at Noon Pacific (-7 GMT). Keep your eyes open for spooky special event collectors and monsters dropping trick-or-treat bags. Crash our annual PvP Costume Brawl! Venture into the Underworld on a series of all-new quests—if you dare! And, on Halloween, October 31^st, Mad King Thorn will make a series of appearances!

Head over to our Halloween 2009 event page for all of the gory details!

There's never been a better time to expand your storage! Xunlai Storage Panes are 25% off from October 7th through November 1st.

Visit the Guild Wars In-Game Store or the NCsoft Store to take advantage of this limited time offer!

In September, Inadequately Equipped [GeAr] claimed victory over I Disposable Heroes I [DirT] to become the champion guild of the month. On the 1v1 front, Cleanup Time defeated Julie Loves Cindy to become our September 1v1 champion. For a complete list of the monthly rankings, check out the full GvG and 1v1 results.

Since it's a new month, the Zaishen Chest will offer a new tonic. Use those Zaishen Keys for a chance to find October's sensational Skeletonic! To see the full tonic schedule, check out the Zaishen Rewards Calendar.

The player community is celebrating October with a lot of creativity, starting with two great publications from Photics and ending with a massive Halloween event: The King and Queen's Horrorween! Read on for community news!

Congratulations to the winners of the Henchman Skill Bar Contest! Who won? Find out right here.

Help us celebrate the season by entering your Guild Wars themed Halloween art in our fifth annual contest. Design a costume, bake a cake, carve a pumpkin—go nuts! Check out the details here.

We'd like to announce an exciting opportunity for Guild Wars players who speak Traditional Chinese! We've created a way for you to submit localized content for skill names and descriptions. If you would like to help, check out this page on the Official Guild Wars Wiki. Please note that we are currently focusing on Traditional Chinese skill names and descriptions only.

We received a huge number of entries to the Henchman Skill Bar Contest—more than 30,000! We're still reviewing all of the submissions, so we've moved the announcement of the contest winners to October 1^st. We're sorry for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience!

This incredible hardbound collection of Guild Wars 2 concept art is now available for sale! Head over here to pick up your copy today.

Interested in Guild Wars discussion? Love music? Tune in to the Ascension Show this month on Sanitarium.fm! For more details, check out Community News!

Guild Wars Live Team Lead Designer Linsey Murdock and Guild Wars 2 Game Designer Isaiah "Izzy" Cartwright recently sat down with the folks from Kill Ten Rats to discuss Guild Wars combat and the metrics used for skill balance. Head over to see what they have to say!

Couldn't make it to PAX this year? To make sure you didn't miss anything, we've posted videos of our panel interviews from the Penny Arcade Expo on our YouTube channel. Head over to watch discussions about the art of Guild Wars 2, a panel interview with the Guild Wars Live Team, and a lore-filled talk about the upcoming Fall of Ascalon novel!

Check out our latest game update and read what the developers have to say about it here.

Due to popular demand, we've made some changes to the Aion wings emote promo. Players who purchase Aion digitally will now be able to get the wings emote for their Guild Wars accounts. Pop over to our revised Aion wings FAQ for more info!

PAX is upon us! We'll be posting updates all weekend from the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. To stay up-to-date on the latest breaking news:

• Follow us on Twitter
• Friend us on Facebook

If you're heading to the show, be sure to swing by booth #842 in the Exhibit Hall and say hi!

As a reminder for those interested in becoming a member of the Guild Wars Live Test Krewe, the deadline for submitting applications is this upcoming Tuesday, September 8^th. If you haven't submitted your Test Krewe application, be sure to do so before then.

Thanks to everyone who has applied! Going through all the applications will take some time, but we'll announce the Test Krewe members as soon as we can. Stay tuned!

Check out the August issue of ImagineFX, which features two beautiful pieces of Guild Wars 2 concept art by our very own Art Director Daniel Dociu. Look for this special issue on shelves now!