Guild Wars 2 has had some updates, and here are the notes.

LIVING WORLD

Last Stand at Southsun

Help Inspector Kiel track down Canach, the villain behind the increased animal aggression and the focused attacks on Consortium settlements. Canach’s intent is to destroy the settler contracts (and punish Subdirector Blingg for his vendetta against Canach).
Players must work together to protect the settlements and the innocents within from the crazed horde’s sustained assault, ultimately allowing Inspector Kiel to destroy the records and free the settlers from their unfair commitments without harming any of the island’s residents. This sets the stage for the upcoming Dragon Bash festival to happen without settler unrest spoiling the festivities.

Open World

Note: All this open world content takes place on the Southsun Cove map.

• Added new island-wide meta-event where players defend and liberate the new settlements across Southsun Cove. If players hold all four settlements, merchants will become available with unique items, and there is a chance that an Enraged Karka Queen boss will spawn.
• The Enraged Karka Queen boss event rewards large boss chests like other world bosses and gives two guaranteed rare or better items once per day.
• Added four new items as rare rewards to all Southsun Cove content. These items are tradable and soulbound on use.
  • Mini Reef Rider: Your very own exotic miniature version of the reef rider. Hurry, because this limited-edition item only drops for the next two weeks!
  • Settler’s Keepsake: An exotic accessory with toughness, healing, and condition damage stats.
  • Settler’s Amulet: An exotic amulet with toughness, healing, and condition damage stats.
  • Settler’s Ring: An exotic ring with toughness, healing, and condition damage stats.

Still Available in Southsun Cove

• Wild animals (karka, reef drakes, wind riders) continue to exhibit more aggressive behavior.
• Visitors trapped by the hostile wildlife need to be escorted to safety.
• The crazed wildlife will attack new and existing settlements on the island; players must fend off the attack and defend the sites.
• More robust resource nodes to harvest, providing passiflora flowers and fruit, karka shells, and other island-specific resources.
• Players can view the interactions between two high-profile tourists on the island: Lord Faren and Lady Kasmeer.
• The “Crab Toss” activity is still available.

Instances

• Added new Canach single-player story boss encounter.
• Added explorable multiplayer variant (unlocked if you defeat Canach).
• Added new single-player instance for the culmination of the story.

Achievements

• New content-based and story-based achievements designed to encourage play on the Southsun Cove map.

Guild Content

• Added a new guild puzzle to Snowden Drifts.

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
World vs. World

• Changed World vs. World matchmaking:
  • The deviation listed on the leaderboards is used with a new formula to create more varied matchups.
  • The matchups are listed on the leaderboards page.
• Commander map pings and strokes are now visible to members of their squad.
• Players now gain World Experience for killing guards, destroying walls, destroying gates, and building mortars, cannons, and burning oil.
• Added a laurel merchant selling Ascended items:
  • Ascended rings can be purchased for 25 laurels and 250 badges of honor.
  • Ascended amulets can be purchased for 20 laurels and 250 badges of honor.
  • Ascended accessories can be purchased for 40 laurels and 50 globs of ectoplasm.
  • WvW-specific infusions have been added and can be purchased for 5 laurels and 125 badges of honor.
    • Offensive infusions provide players with +1% damage to guards and lords.
    • Defensive infusions provide players with -1% damage to guards and lords.
• Added a new reward chest. Every time players gain a WvW Rank, they receive a chest with WvW rewards:
  • Coins.
  • Badges.
  • A chance for:
    • Traps.
    • Siege blueprints.
    • Superior siege blueprints.
    • Masterwork armor/weapons.
    • Rare armor/weapons.
    • Exotic armor/weapons.
    • Ascended rings.
    • Precursors.
  • Players who gained World Rank prior to the chests being added will receive 1 additional chest per rank gained until they have received a number equal to the ranks they had gained previously.
• Added 5 tiers to Defense Against Guards, for a total of 10:
  • All Defense Against Guards abilities count towards lords and supervisors.
  • 7% reduced damage (total) against guards, lords, and supervisors.
  • Gain retaliation when the player negates guard damage.
  • 10% reduced damage (total) against guards, lords, and supervisors.
  • Gain 1 stack of applied fortitude when killing a guard, lord, or supervisor.
    • Applied fortitude: Grants the player 20 vitality (max of 5 stacks; stacks are lost on death).
• Added Oil Mastery to the available ranks and abilities list:
  • Increases burning oil radius by 25%.
  • Increases burning oil damage by 15%.
  • Grants protection to the player and oil cauldron when the player is using the cauldron.
  • Burning oil damage removes 1 supply from enemies.
  • Skill 3, Burning Shell: Creates a fiery dome that reflects projectiles for 10 seconds.

Structured PvP

• Spectators now see their target’s rank on the HUD.
• Spectators may now select targets while viewing from fixed cameras.
• Spectators may now right-click and double-click players to switch follow targets.
• Spectators now hear local chat around their position.
• Spectators now see health bars with every visible nameplate.
• The Spectator Inspect window saves position.
• Reworked the spectator list to allow context menus.
• Nameplates do not fade on unselected targets during spectating.
• Nameplates have brighter team colors during spectating.
• Nameplates no longer show level 80.
• Added a button on the defeated health bar to show death breakdown.
• Added a victory animation at the end of PvP matches.
• Added /gameend admin command to force-end custom arena matches after they’ve started. This does not award stats, glory, or rank points.
• Fixed a bug where team selection buttons were not disabled when the team was full.
• Fixed a bug where players would occasionally join a team and spawn in the wrong starting area.
• Player and pet map icons are now always layered above capture point map icons.
• Death breakdown no longer shows automatically upon defeat.
• Minimap objective markers are now a fixed size when changing zoom levels.

Game Optimization

• Continued optimizations to the game to improve server performance and work toward eliminating lag during large encounters. We’ll be continuing to improve performance in this area in upcoming releases and provide as optimal an experience as possible with large numbers of players on screen.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
World Polish

• Caledon Forest: Adjusted camera position during the mossheart transformation.
• Drawing the Juggernaut Hammer no longer causes armor that has glowing areas to become invisible.
• Timberline Falls: Adjusted the UI for the skill challenge to fight Cooroo’s crab.
• Queensdale: Carnie Jeb has been promoted to a veteran to make his fight comparable to other skill challenges.
• Particles now correctly align to the ground on the Undead Coral Creature.
• Effects now appear at the correct size when attached to the Karka Young creature.
• Branded Lesser Air Elemental art now has legs and a tail.
• Encumbered state now automatically resolves with empty inventory slots.
• Full hint completion now awards the hint achievement.

Events

• Global: Minor UI fixes for several events.
• “Defend Lionguard Lindi as she searches for buried treasure”: Fixed an issue blocking event progression.
• Dredgehaunt Cliffs: Dredge tunnels can now be hit reliably with ranged attacks.
• Fields of Ruin: Wasps near tkittenonhawke delegation are now the same level as other wildlife in the area.
• Temple of Lyssa: Creatures no longer benefit from multiple scaling buffs at the same time.
• Plains of Ashford: Fixed a bug with the Iron Legion turrets at the Exterminatus HQ.
• Malchor’s Leap: Added a countdown at the end of crystal collection for Technical Agent Frazz.

Dungeons
Sorrow’s Embrace

• Made it easier to select Rasolov when bringing him glowing ore.

The Ruined City of Arah

• Randall Greyston and the Seers path: The Bloodstone Shard is no longer permanently invisible.

Personal Story

• Fixed a bug where some entries in the My Story tab could not be viewed.
• “Assault the hill”: Fixed a rare stall at the end of the story step where clearing the bridge would not complete correctly.

Profession
General

• Sink and Float effects: No longer affect targets above water.

Elementalist

• Ring of Earth skill: No longer destroys unblockable projectiles.
• Lightning Whip skill: Now strikes targets in a similar angle to other melee ranged skills.
• Elemental Surge trait: Now functions correctly with the Arcane Shield skill while the player is attuned to air.
• Conjure skill: Summoned weapons now correctly appear in the player’s hands if certain on-swap sigils are equipped.
• Arcane Energy trait: Now works properly with the Arcane Power, Arcane Shield, and Signet of Restoration skills.
• Rock Anchor skill: No longer able to affect targets at infinite range. Now respects line of sight.
• Air Bubble skill: No longer able to affect targets at infinite range. Now respects line of sight.

Engineer

• Glue Bomb skill: The radius of the effects is now consistent—240 units for all effects when untraited, 360 units for all effects when traited.
• Steel-Packed Powder trait: Now applies when detonating turrets.
• Fixed a bug that prevented certain traits from functioning correctly, including Rifled Turret Barrels, Metal Plating, and Autotool Installation.
• Throw Mine and Mine Field skills: Certain friendly NPCs no longer detonate mines.
• Scatter Mines skill: Recharge is no longer impacted by the Rifled Barrels trait.
• Adrenaline Pump trait: Now works with turrets and racial skills.
• Short Fuse trait: Now works underwater even when the Grenadier trait is equipped.
• Inertial Converter trait: Now works underwater for the Grenade Barrage skill.
• Rocket Kick skill: Now hits targets at maximum range.
• Fire Bomb skill: No longer deletes the bomb if the player jumps at the wrong time.
• Smoke Bomb skill: No longer deletes the bomb if the player jumps at the wrong time.

Guardian

• Zealot’s Defense skill: No longer destroys unblockable projectiles.
• Shield of the Avenger skill: No longer destroys unblockable projectiles.
• Perfect Inscriptions trait: Now functions in PvE.
• Symbol of Judgment skill:
  • Now acts as a combo field even if the Writ of Exaltation trait is not equipped.
  • No longer heals for less without the Writ of Exaltation trait. It now uses the higher value in all cases, and the healing fact on the tool tip is now always accurate.

Mesmer

• Phantasmal Warlock skill: The damage skill fact now displays accurately.
• Prismatic Understanding trait: Now functions with torch’s The Prestige skill.
• Portal Exeunt skill: Casting during the last second before the portal expires no longer fails to create the entrance.
• Veil skill: The skill fact now indicates the correct stealth duration (2 seconds).
• Illusion of Drowning skill: No longer able to affect targets at infinite range. Now respects line of sight.
• Clones now attack ranger pets even if the ranger is out of range.

Necromancer

• Greater Marks trait:
  • Now increases the ground target size of all marks.
  • Now increases the size of marks created by the Lich Form skill.
• Death Nova trait: Now functions with Necrotic Traversal.
• Grasping Dead skill: Now lists the correct number of bleed stacks (3) in its tooltip.
• Feast skill: Now lists the correct radius (600) in its tooltip.
• Wicked Spiral skill: Now displays the correct range in the tooltip.
• Dark Armor trait: Now functions with Life Leech, Frozen Abyss, and Wicked Spiral.

Ranger

• Whirling Defense skill:
  • Now strikes targets at a similar range to all other melee skills.
  • Now increases the reflecting range when the Off-Hand Training trait is equipped.
• Eagle Eye trait: No longer makes the Rapid Fire and Barrage skills uninterruptable by the Long Range Shot skill.
• Splinter Shot skill: Projectile speed is no longer 75% of what it should have been.
• Coral Shot skill: Projectile speed is no longer 75% of what it should have been. The bleeding on this skill now interacts correctly with the Eagle Eye trait, granting an extra stack of bleeding at maximum range. This skill can no longer be shot backward.
• Feeding Frenzy skill: Projectile speed is no longer 75% of what it should have been. This skill can no longer be shot backward.
• Mercy Shot skill: Projectile speed is no longer 75% of what it should have been. This skill can no longer be shot backward.
• Pets now draw aggro from guards in WvW.

Thief

• Black Powder skill: No longer fires its projectile backward while moving. The field can still be generated.
• Shadow Refuge skill: Now lists its duration in the tooltip.
• Shadow Return skill: No longer has infinite range.
• Shadow Shot skill: The second half now hits the target more reliably even if the player happens to jump while the bullet is in the air.

Warrior

• Destruction of the Empowered trait: Might no longer grants double the bonus, and stability grants the correct bonus.
• Restorative Strength trait: Now functions with the sylvari Healing Seed skill and the human Prayer to Dwayna skill.
• Combustive Shot skill: Now displays damage facts appropriately throughout all adrenaline levels.
• Warrior banners now apply their buffs immediately.
• Battle Standard skill: No longer initially applies stability and then transitions over to swiftness. It now applies swiftness with stability coming from the active skill on the banner.
• Building Momentum trait: Now functions with the Flurry skill.

Structured PvP

• PvP Chainmail armor: Added to the loot table for Copper, Silver, and Gold Rabbit Rank Chests.
• PvP Apprentice armor: Added to the loot table for Copper, Silver, and Gold Deer Rank Chests.
• PvP Fused Gauntlets: Removed from the loot table for Match Win Reward Chests.
• Raid on the Capricorn: Capture point events now always display correctly.
• Legacy of the Foefire:
  • Added an additional spectator camera location to the graveyard area.
  • Adjusted spectator camera location at the waterfall capture point.
• Spirit Watch:
  • The orb is no longer prevented from spawning at the start of the match.
  • An orb carrier can no longer stand at the edge of a capture point to capture it without scoring the orb.

World vs. World

• Events in WvW now reward twice as much World Experience on completion as in the past.
• It is now easier to receive event credit for killing the castle lord when assaulting Stonemist Castle.
• Players can now exit Obsidian Sanctum using the portals behind their entrance point.
• The underwater gates of the Lowlands Keep in the Eternal Battlegrounds repair when each structural upgrade is completed.
• The southernmost gate of the garrison in each of the Borderlands repairs when each structural upgrade is completed.
• Returned the orichalcum nodes to Obsidian Sanctum.
• New daily WvW achievements have been added to the rotation.
• Increased the number of WvW-specific daily achievements available each day to three.
• Flame Rams now destroy after 15 minutes of not being used. All other placed siege weapons now wait for 1 hour of no use before destroying.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE

• German customers now have the option of using ELV to pay for Gems. Simply click the Buy Gems button in the upper-left corner of the Gem Store, select* elektronisches Lastschriftverfahren* as your payment method, and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Custom Arena Time Tokens are now available in the Gem Store in the Services category to add time to your favorite arenas: 5 days for 150 gems or 20 days for 480 gems.
• The Consortium Harvest Sickle is now available in the Gem Store in the Service category for 800 gems each. This sickle has unlimited charges and is available in the Gem Store until June 24.
• The Miniature White Kitten is now available in the Gem Store in the Minis category for 400 gems each. This adorable miniature concludes our spring-babies miniature sale and is available for one week.

And in case you missed it, we recently interviewed the Guild Wars 2 Game Director Colin Johanson:

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