14 DAY TRIAL // After quite a lengthy wait, developer ArenaNet has finally unleashed the Cutthroat Politics update for Guild Wars 2, its massively successful online role-playing game, bringing plenty of new content and adventures for players from all around the world.
Guild Wars 2 followed the successful strategy of its predecessor, as instead of charging a monthly subscription or going full free-to-play, the game requires just a one-time purchase, like any other title.
Today, July 23, players can indulge in a brand new update for Guild Wars 2, in the form of Cutthroat Politics.
The expansion sees players choose between the two candidates for the free seat on the Captain's Council of Lion's Arch, in the form of veteran Ellen Kiel or merchant Evon Gnashblade.
The two candidates are offering all sorts of goodies and benefits in exchange for the vote but players will have to go on all kinds of new adventures once the update is live.
Check out the impressive details and improvements below, as highlighted by ArenaNet on the official website.
Cutthroat Politics
The Bazaar of the Four Winds is in full swing in the Labyrinthine Cliffs, but no one has forgotten the assassination that created a vacancy on the Captain’s Council of Lion’s Arch. War hero Ellen Kiel and prominent merchant Evon Gnashblade both want that empty seat! If one of them can secure a trade agreement for Lion’s Arch with the people of the Zephyr Sanctum, the Captain’s Council will deem it lucrative enough to secure their seat.
And now, after weeks of getting to know Kiel and Gnashblade, the Zephyrites are ready to work a deal. There’s just one catch: they’ll sign the agreement with whomever the people of Tyria support! So the stakes are raised—Kiel and Gnashblade are making promises and providing entertainment to try to garner support. But they need the players’ help. Play their games, support a candidate, and influence the future of Tyria!
The Labyrinthine
Cliffs
- To secure a spot on the Captain’s Council of Lion’s Arch, Evon Gnashblade and Ellen Kiel are trying to work out a trade agreement with the Zephyr Sanctum. Players can drop their support tokens in the containers on the Zephyr Sanctum to help Ellen or Evon in their bid to secure the trade agreement.
- Each support token turned in will award a support button for the chosen candidate. Using a support button will grant one hour of support to the chosen candidate and allow limited-time achievements to be completed by the player.
- Players can choose to help Evon or Ellen, alone or with a group, in the Candidate Trials. Players can test their battle skills by facing off against waves of Aetherblade pirates and holding out for as long as they can to earn support tokens and loot, including a rare chance at an Aetherized weapon.
- To help garner support, Evon is hosting a daring game of Southsun Survival. Players can scheme, kill, and scavenge their way to the top in this new competitive activity. Armed with only a bow and whatever supplies they can find, up to 20 players will face off in a battle to be the last one standing. Players can earn karma and coins for each round played, plus a rare chance at an exclusive back-slot item.
- Not to be outdone, Ellen is hosting a competitive game in the Aspect Arena. Pick one of the Aspects of Sun, Wind, or Lightning, and face off in teams to collect crystals. Each Aspect will grant players different skills with which to maneuver and fight. Players can earn karma and coins for each round played, plus a rare chance at an exclusive back-slot item.
- Players can enter the story instance “Audience with the Master” on the Zephyr Sanctum.
- Players can still participate in Belcher’s Bluff, a new and permanent activity where players drink omnomberry juice competitively and can seek out masters around the world to learn their signature skills. Players can also still challenge other players in a PvP version that can be purchased from bartenders around the world.
- The fortune scrap vendor is still trading fortune scraps for unique Zephyrite items. Fortune scraps can be found in kite fortunes, which have a chance to drop from all creatures in the game, or can be purchased in the Gem Store.
- The scavenger hunt in the Labyrinthine Cliffs continues, allowing players to use their mastery of Wind, Sun, and Lightning movement skills to activate Sky Crystals.
- The bazaar is still in full swing in the Labyrinthine Cliffs. Merchants still have bulk orders of cooking ingredients from all over Tyria.
- The Zephyrites are still looking to trade various resources (such as ore, wood, candy, and more) for Zephyr Sanctum supply boxes.
- The Sanctum Sprint continues! Players can still use cunning, agility, and some special skills to navigate this dizzying obstacle course.
Open
World
- Zephyrites are still launching kite baskets into multiple explorable areas in Tyria. The kite baskets contain a chance at quartz (a new resource used for crafting), armor and weapon recipes for the new stat combination, and kite fortunes.
- Players can still locate a handful of kite baskets at the top of several jumping puzzles throughout Tyria and open them for achievement points.
- Zephyr Sanctum will be leaving when the Bazaar of the Four Winds ends on August 6.
- Support tokens for Evon Gnashblade and Ellen Kiel will no longer be accepted at Zephyr Sanctum after 11 a.m. PST on August 5.
Achievements
- New achievements have been added to the Living World, Support Ellen Kiel, and Support Evon Gnashblade categories that involve participating in Candidate Trials, Aspect Arena, Southsun Survival and showing support while participating in other content.
- Completing the Gnashblade Supporter meta-achievement awards the player a Mini Evon Gnashblade. Completion of this meta-achievement requires players to complete 6 of the Support Evon Gnashblade achievements.
- Completing the Kiel Supporter meta-achievement awards the player a Mini Ellen Kiel. Completion of this meta-achievement requires players to complete 6 of the Support Ellen Kiel achievements.
The new update goes live today, July 23, and will be automatically applied the next time you start the game's launcher.