Game updates/May 2021

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May 2021 updates
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Update - May 26, 2021

Bug Fixes:[edit]

  • Fixed an issue in which combat teams in the Mists Arena were not using standard character models.
  • Fixed an issue in which combat teams in the Mists Arena were not allied with themselves.

Guild Wars 2 Wiki Notes[edit]

  • Build: 115,815

Late Notes - May 11[sic], 2021[edit]

World vs. World[edit]

Edge of the Mists[edit]

  • Manual team selection has been added to the Mists Arena. Players can choose between two different combat teams, a spectator team, or a flying spectator transform by interacting with flags on the edge of the arena. Only the players on the combat teams are able to enter the arena.
  • Upon entering the Mists Arena, players will be automatically placed on the spectator team.
  • Leaving the Mists Arena will revert players back to their original WvW team.

Bug Fixes:[edit]

  • Fixed an issue in which combat teams in the Mists Arena were not using standard character models.
  • Fixed an issue in which combat teams in the Mists Arena were not allied with themselves.

Update 2 - May 25, 2021

Bug Fix:[edit]

Guild Wars 2 Wiki Notes[edit]

  • Build: 115,781

Update - May 25, 2021[edit]

Living World[edit]

Return to the Living World Story[edit]

A special series of events focusing on previous Living World story chapters is beginning this week, with the spotlight on the first two episodes of Season 2, "Gates of Maguuma" and "Entanglement"! Check them out to earn special bonus rewards for playing those episodes' stories and maps through new achievements. Completing multiple sets of event achievements across the Living World story will progress the Seasons of the Dragons meta-achievement, with some legendary rewards available! Next week we'll move on to Episodes 3 and 4 of Season 2.

  • Taimi and Gorrik are setting up a lab in the Eye of the North. If you've completed Episode 5 of The Icebrood Saga, check in with them for the latest information.
  • For the duration of each episode's special event, that episode will be free to purchase in the Gem Store and an instant unlock will be directly mailed to you.
  • The meta-achievement Seasons of the Dragons has been added to the Current Events achievement category.
  • If you miss a week or need to wait to experience the story, don't worry—the achievements are permanent. Look for achievements from previous weeks in the Side Stories category in the Achievements tab in your Hero panel. See you in Dry Top!

General[edit]

  • Achievements related to the portal invasions in Central Tyria have been moved from the Current Events category to their own new category, Portal Panic.
  • The Survey on Subjects of Importance 2 achievement has been moved from the Current Events category to the Roller Beetle Racing category.
  • Updated map completion rewards for all expansion maps to be consistent with current design standards. Map completion in all level-80 zones now requires the character to be level 80 to earn maximum-level rewards.
  • Fixed an issue that allowed the Destroyer of the Crystal Fields to be stunned when entering the battlefield, causing it to stall before fighting back.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the final battle of the Fireheart Rise Dragon Response Mission to stall if Braham's health bar was depleted during certain sections of the fight.

Raids[edit]

Profession Skills[edit]

General[edit]

In this update, we're performing some follow-up tuning to several professions in order to address balance concerns we've seen from the previous update. This is an ongoing process; we're eagerly watching as the community theorycrafts new builds and tries them in content, and we're gathering data on play rates of various elite specializations and builds within those specializations as they're played in different content types. We'll continue making future adjustments as necessary to ensure that every profession is represented with viable builds for each game mode.

Engineer[edit]

We've loved seeing the scrapper quickness builds that the community has put together so far. In this follow-up tuning update, we're increasing the base quickness applied by Kinetic Accelerators so that aspiring quick scrappers will have more flexibility in their choice of utility skills.

Scrapper[edit]
  • Kinetic Accelerators.png Kinetic Accelerators: Increased duration of applied quickness from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds in all game modes.

Guardian[edit]

We're watching how the recent changes to guardian traits have impacted play, and we're pleased with how the recent tuning to the firebrand's burst damage has worked out. To help ease the lost burst potential, we're adding a (very minor) amount of additional condition damage into Power of the Virtuous.

Virtues[edit]
  • Power of the Virtuous.png Power of the Virtuous: This trait now increases condition damage by 13% of your vitality in all game modes, up from 10%.

Mesmer[edit]

We're excited by how enthusiastic everyone is for the staff-wielding mirage. With the recent improvements to Chaos traits, the torment condition's performance in PvE, and the changes to the staff skills themselves, staff is currently overperforming as a boon support weapon. We'd like to keep axe-and-torch as the DPS build, and ease the performance of the mirage's staff down into a competitive support build, which means lowering its overall damage output (and confusion uptime).

Mantras[edit]
  • Mantra of Recovery.png Mantra of Recovery: This skill will once again properly activate the trait Mender's Purity, and it will now activate Mender's Purity when used in midair.
  • Mantra of Concentration.png Mantra of Concentration: This skill will now properly break stuns when activated.
Mesmer[edit]
  • Winds of Chaos.png Winds of Chaos: When cast by a clone, the durations of applied torment and confusion have been reduced from 5 seconds to 2 seconds in all game modes.
Mirage[edit]
  • Chaos Vortex.png Chaos Vortex: Reduced alacrity applied to nearby allies from 3 seconds to 2.5 seconds in PvE only.

Necromancer[edit]

Scourge[edit]
  • Demonic Lore.png Demonic Lore: Reduced torment damage bonus from 33% to 25% in PvE only.

Ranger[edit]

The reduction in the previous update to soulbeasts' damage via "Sic Em!" cut their overall damage output below the level we'd like to see from a competitive power DPS specialization. To that end, we're giving soulbeasts back a significant DPS effect in PvE content by increasing the power of the Furious Strength trait.

Soulbeast[edit]

Revenant[edit]

Revenants have access to more damage reduction from traits than other professions, and combinations of these can be especially potent. We're making some adjustments here to bring the revenant more in line with our general trait design for damage reduction and combat sustainability. With the recent addition of the Resolution boon, Righteous Rebel also has allowed revenants to stack an extremely high resistance to condition damage. Given that revenants have strong access to the Resolution boon, we have also reevaluated the high degree of condition damage resistance provided by Righteous Rebel.

A slight reduction to damage from the Devastation specialization is also being made to help preserve competitiveness and the diversity of options between Devastation and Invocation.

Corruption[edit]
Devastation[edit]
Retribution[edit]
Renegade[edit]
  • Soulcleave's Summit.png Soulcleave's Summit: Increased healing by 50% in all game modes.
  • Righteous Rebel.png Righteous Rebel: Reduced incoming condition damage reduction per stack of Kalla's Fervor from 7% to 4% in all game modes.

Thief[edit]

Deadeye's performance is especially strong in PvE as a condition-damage role. At the moment, specific pistol skills are overperforming due to recent improvements to condition damage in thief traits. We're excited to see deadeye get more play, and we'll make tuning adjustments as necessary in future updates to ensure that both it and daredevil have strong damage builds available with a variety of weapons.

Pistol[edit]
  • Shadow Strike.png Shadow Strike: Reduced applied torment from 4 stacks to 2 stacks in PvE only. This now matches the number of stacks currently in PvP and WvW.
  • Repeater.png Repeater: Increased initiative cost from 2 to 3. Reduced duration of applied bleeding from 4 seconds to 3 seconds in PvE only.
  • Sneak Attack.png Sneak Attack: Reduced applied bleeding duration from 6 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only. This now matches the duration in PvP and WvW.
Deadeye[edit]

Black Lion Trading Company Gem Store[edit]

New Items and Promotions[edit]

Black Lion Chest[edit]

Guild Wars 2 Wiki Notes[edit]

  • Build: 115,728

Update - May 12, 2021[edit]

Bug Fixes:[edit]

  • Fixed a bug that caused the Dragonstorm encounter to stall during defiance-bar phases.
  • Explosive Shell.png Explosive Shell: This skill no longer hits the primary target more than once.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented infused and attuned versions of Celestial-stat ascended rings from granting expertise and concentration.
  • Runes of Strength: Corrected erroneous bonus damage granted by these runes.
  • Chaos Vortex.png Chaos Vortex: Fixed an issue in which this skill applied more might than intended in PvP and WvW.
  • Purging Flames.png Purging Flames: Fixed an issue in which the cooldown of this skill was lower than intended in PvP and WvW.

Guild Wars 2 Wiki Notes[edit]

  • Build: 115,267

Late Notes - May 11, 2021

Profession Skills[edit]

Guardian[edit]

Firebrand
  • Epilogue- Ashes of the Just.png Ashes of the Just: This effect now has a 1-second internal cooldown.
  • Chapter 2- Igniting Burst.png Chapter 2: Igniting Burst: Reduced burning stacks applied from 2 to 1 in PvE only. This matches the current stack count in PvP and WvW. Increased base duration of burning from 5 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE only.
  • Weighty Terms.png Weighty Terms: This trait now activates when any mantra is used, not only on the final charge. It now inflicts slow instead of immobilize.
  • Stoic Demeanor.png Stoic Demeanor: This trait now also triggers when inflicting slow.

Ranger[edit]

Marksmanship

Revenant[edit]

Corruption
  • Invoke Torment.png Invoke Torment: Reduced torment stacks applied from 2 to 1 in PvE only. This matches the number of stacks applied in PvP and WvW.
  • Diabolic Inferno.png Diabolic Inferno: Reduced poison and burning stacks applied from 2 to 1 in PvE only. This matches the number of stacks applied in PvP and WvW.
Mace
  • Anguish Swipe.png Anguish Swipe: Reduced torment duration from 5 seconds to 3 seconds in PvE only.
  • Misery Swipe.png Misery Swipe: Reduced torment duration from 5 seconds to 3 seconds in PvE only.
Legendary Demon Stance

Update - May 11, 2021[edit]

05/12/2021:
We have removed the following line from the update notes below:
"To better indicate which skills will deal defiance damage, icons within skill tooltips that represent applied control effects are now purple."
This change was intended to be part of the May 11 update but was removed due to UI concerns.

Living World[edit]

  • Fixed an issue that may have prevented the Jahai Bluffs Griffon Master: Silver and Jahai Bluffs Griffon Expert: Silver achievements from being granted when gold rank was earned. Players who completed the gold achievements but did not get credit for the silver achievements will receive credit upon visiting Jahai Bluffs.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented players from entering and replaying Dragonstorm (Story) after completing the "Champions" story line.
  • Fixed an issue that caused Bangar Ruinbringer to linger in the Eye of the North after players completed both the "Champions" story line and the Confer with Bangar achievement.
  • Experience earned in the Dragonstorm encounter is now correctly allocated to Icebrood Saga Mastery tracks.

Skills and Balance[edit]

It's been a long while since our last major balance patch. In this update, we're preparing for Cantha by cleaning up longstanding frustrations with boons and conditions, as well as by positioning existing builds as new potential sources of alacrity and quickness in group play.

Among these changes are new duration caps for each boon and condition, a rework of the retaliation and resistance boons, and a reversal to the bonus-damage state of the torment condition. Torment will now deal bonus damage to targets that are standing still instead of to moving targets. This change will enhance torment's performance in most boss encounters and create better opportunities for synergy and counterplay in PvP.

The retaliation boon has long been a pain point, both in PvE and PvP. It's not particularly impactful to use, and it's never fun to play against. We have replaced it with a new boon, resolution, which complements the existing protection boon by reducing incoming damage from conditions (bleeding, poisoned, burning, torment, and confusion) by 33%. Many current traits and skills use retaliation in some way, or to added effect; those traits aren't going away! Generally, they've been updated to use the new resolution boon. As always, the detailed patch notes below will tell you exactly what's happening for each profession.

Similarly, we're not quite happy with how resistance is a hard shutdown on all conditions, which creates overlapping gameplay with skills that cleanse conditions. We're updating resistance to only affect nondamaging conditions. In other words, resolution helps reduce damage from bleeding, poisoned, burning, torment, and confusion, while resistance lets you temporarily ignore blinded, chilled, crippled, fear, immobilized, slow, taunt, vulnerability, and weakness. Since we're reducing the overall effect of resistance, we're also reevaluating and increasing durations in some skills where it is applied.

Boon and Condition Updates[edit]

Resolution[edit]
  • The Retaliation boon has been renamed Resolution.
  • Incoming condition damage is decreased by 33%. Stacks duration.
  • Unless otherwise specified, skills and traits that formerly granted or used retaliation now use resolution.
Resistance[edit]
  • Nondamaging conditions currently on the player are ineffective. Stacks duration.
Torment[edit]
  • Deals damage every second. Deals additional damage to foes that are not moving. Stacks intensity.

Duration Caps for Boons and Conditions[edit]

Duration-stacking boons and conditions now behave consistently. They directly stack durations added from all sources, do not have hidden stack limits, and generally have shorter maximum durations. With most nondamaging condition durations stacking to a maximum of 10 seconds, we aim to reduce situations in which players can become stuck in combat because of a long-duration condition, preventing them from using their mount.

Boons[edit]
Conditions[edit]

Mantras (Mesmer and Firebrand)[edit]

We acknowledge that there are significant flaws with the core gameplay innate to mantra skills, and that this problem was exacerbated in Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire™ when we switched mesmer mantras to an ammunition system, creating an incentive to not use the final charge. This is a poor user experience and something we have hoped for a long time to be able to come back and address.

Needing to prepare for combat by using a sequence of skills with a long casting time is not fun, and in most cases, using the final charge of a mantra in combat felt like a mistake. It not only denied your use of the skill for a long time, but it also required you to prepare your mantras again after the cooldown expired. Instead of being rewarding to use, mantras have been a chore; something you need to remember to do every time you change maps or respawn, or deal with after every /gg in a fractal, strike, or raid. Holding your group up while you again prepare each of your mantras never feels great either!

During the development of this balance patch, we tried several alternatives, including automatic preparation while out of combat. Ultimately, we found that the best course of action was to simplify the mantra skills and remove the preparation mechanic altogether, as this ensures that we can have consistent behavior between mesmer and firebrand mantras, as well as consistent core functionality between PvE and PvP game modes. As a result, in this balance update, we have decided to rework both mesmer and firebrand mantras into simple ammunition skills.

What this means:

  • No more preparing mantras before use. They are always in the "ready" mode, storing up uses.
  • Firebrand mantras are no longer stronger on final charge. All uses are the same.
  • Mesmer mantras no longer do something on preparing.

Some related tuning and trait changes will happen as a result. While this results in a loss of some of the current flavor inherent to the mantra skill type, we have found that the ability to easily read, understand, and use these skills in normal gameplay is a strong improvement to the play experience.

General[edit]

  • The Exposed effect that is placed on many boss enemies when their defiance bar is broken has been adjusted. It now increases power damage taken by 30% and condition damage taken by 100%.
  • Text on many damage-increasing profession traits, runes, and sigils has been clarified to indicate whether they increase outgoing strike damage, condition damage, or all damage, as appropriate.

Items[edit]

  • The Superior Sigil of the Stars now also increases concentration and expertise.
  • The Celestial stat combination on gear now also increases concentration and expertise. The per-stat values have not been decreased.

Mounts[edit]

  • Griffon: Swoop (griffon).png Swoop now deals additional damage based on your velocity.

Profession Skills[edit]

Elementalist[edit]

We feel that the elementalist has been in a very good place since the July 2020 balance update. Both Tempests and Weavers have effective high damage power and condition damage builds available, while the Tempest is also powerful in a support role.

We weren't completely happy that the top-end power and condition damage elementalist builds have had approximately the same sustained damage, so we're making some minor, targeted reductions to the power builds and increases to condition damage sources to help condition-damage builds really shine on bosses and other hard targets, and to ensure that they aren't left behind by the effect that the torment condition change has for other professions.

Scepter[edit]
Warhorn[edit]
  • Wildfire.png Wildfire: Burning duration increased from 2.5 seconds to 3 seconds.
  • Lightning Orb.png Lightning Orb: Reduced power coefficient per strike from 0.45 to 0.36 in PvE. This matches the existing power coefficient in PvP and WvW.
Weaver[edit]
  • Elements of Rage.png Elements of Rage: Strike damage bonus reduced from 10% to 5%. Increases condition damage by 5%.

Engineer[edit]

While the Scrapper can be played as an effective healer, it hasn't had access to the offensive boons it needs to be truly valuable as a support role in group PvE content. As a result, we've seen the Scrapper get very little play outside of WvW. With this update, we're reworking the Scrapper trait Kinetic Stabilizers so that Scrappers can apply the quickness boon on up to five targets, opening up a powerful boon support role for the specialization. We're also taking some potential damage out of the Holosmith's heat management in Laser's Edge, and we're instead adding more power to the core explosives trait Glass Cannon, making that damage accessible to more builds.

  • Utility Goggles.png Utility Goggles: Duration of resistance increased from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.
Rifle[edit]
Explosives[edit]
  • Glass Cannon.png Glass Cannon: Increased strike-damage bonus from 7% to 10%.
Scrapper[edit]
  • Kinetic Accelerators.png Kinetic Stabilizers has been reworked and renamed. It is now Kinetic Accelerators.
  • Kinetic Accelerators.png Kinetic Accelerators: When you grant superspeed to a target, also grant quickness (2 seconds).
  • Applied Force.png Applied Force has been reworked to grant stability instead of quickness and to grant extra power from might. Players now gain stability when they gain might above the threshold. Might grants bonus power (10 per stack).
Holosmith[edit]
  • Laser's Edge.png Laser's Edge: Reduced the maximum damage increase from 25% to 15% in PvE only. This matches the current value in PvP and WvW.

Guardian[edit]

Guardian has always been a very flexible and powerful profession. While we are happy with the current build diversity available to guardians---and we are working to extend that same diversity to other professions---we've observed that all guardian damage builds, both condition and power, utilize the same combination of the Zeal and Radiance specializations, as they have optimal trait choices for each. We are making a few changes to Zeal, virtues, and underperforming consecration utility skills to better differentiate the two specializations and allow virtues to be a viable option for condition-damage builds.

Scepter[edit]
  • Symbol of Punishment.png Symbol of Punishment: Increased cooldown from 6 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE and from 8 seconds to 10 seconds in WvW.
  • Chains of Light.png Chains of Light: This skill now requires a target to activate.
Staff[edit]
Greatsword[edit]
Consecrations[edit]
  • Wall of Reflection.png Wall of Reflection: Reduced base duration from 10 seconds to 8 seconds. Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
  • Purging Flames.png Purging Flames: Reduced radius from 240 to 180. This skill no longer burns foes that cross the outside of the field. Instead, it now applies one stack of burning with a 4-second duration on foes inside the radius when cast and again on each pulse for the duration of the effect. Cooldown reduced from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
  • Sanctuary.png Sanctuary: Reduced cooldown from 60 seconds to 50 seconds.
Shouts[edit]
Radiance[edit]
Virtues[edit]
  • Inspired Virtue.png Inspired Virtue: This trait now additionally increases strike damage for each boon on the guardian. This effect was formerly on Power of the Virtuous.
  • Absolute Resolve.png Absolute Resolution: This trait has been renamed Absolute Resolve.
  • Power of the Virtuous.png Power of the Virtuous has been reworked. Guardians now gain condition damage based on vitality (10%). Virtues gain reduced recharge (15%).
Zeal[edit]
  • Zealot's Resolution.png Zealot's Speed: This trait has been renamed Zealot's Resolution.
  • Symbolic Power.png Symbolic Power: Symbol strikes no longer charge the virtue skill-1 passive effect more quickly.
  • Expeditious Spirit.png Eternal Armory: Spirit weapons now only apply burning on their first strike per cast. Increased burn duration from 4 seconds to 8 seconds in PvE, from 2.5 seconds to 5 seconds in WvW, and from 2 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP. This is a reduction to total burning from Sword of Justice and an increase in total burning to Hammer of Wisdom and Shield of the Avenger when used with this trait.
Firebrand[edit]
  • Stoic Demeanor.png Stoic Demeanor: Fixed a bug that caused a 3-second interval rather than the correct 1-second interval.
  • Mantras: Mantras no longer need to be charged before use. They now hold three charges by default, and the final charge is no longer stronger. They regenerate ammunition normally.
  • Weighty Terms.png Weighty Terms: This trait now activates on mantra use. Immobilize duration reduced from 1.5 seconds to 0.5 seconds. Internal cooldown reduced from 9 seconds to 3 seconds. [sic]
Dragonhunter[edit]
  • Defender's Dogma.png Defender's Dogma: This trait now uses the correct icon. Reduced internal cooldown to 1 second in PvE only. This matches the current cooldown in PvP and WvW.
  • Pure of Sight.png Pure of Sight: This trait now uses the correct icon. The description has been clarified to communicate that strike damage dealt increases with distance from the struck enemy.
Longbow[edit]
  • Puncture Shot.png Puncture Shot: Removed the bouncing aspect of this skill. This skill now pierces enemies and inflicts the crippled condition on all enemies if it hits more than one, with a cap of 5 targets.
  • Symbol of Energy.png Symbol of Energy: Cooldown reduced from 15 seconds to 12 seconds. Casting time reduced by 0.3 seconds.
  • Hunter's Ward.png Hunter's Ward: This skill's cast has been reworked. The dragonhunter will now channel the skill for 1 second and then release the barrage, allowing movement while the attacks occur and traps are formed.

Mesmer[edit]

Chronomancer has been steeply overperforming in a damage role in all content, leading to an environment in which the best way to tackle almost any challenge is to throw more Chronomancers at it. On the other hand, Mirage hasn't been performing at the level we'd like it to; it's been relegated to a damage role in only a few specific boss encounters in which confusion is particularly potent. With this update, Mirage will see general improved performance from the change to the torment condition, with the option of using a reworked chaos specialization that will now better synergize for condition damage and support builds. We're also creating a new possible boon support role for Mirages using the staff by changing Chaos Vortex (the staff's ambush skill) to grant might and alacrity to up to 10 allied targets.

  • Vanish in the Deep.png Deception (Downed Skill 2): This skill is now ground targeted while on land and no longer displaces the player when summoning a clone while underwater.
  • Arcane Thievery.png Arcane Thievery: This skill now requires a target to activate.
  • Time Warp.png Time Warp: Reduced cooldown from 180 seconds to 120 seconds. Reduced duration from 10 seconds to 5 seconds. This skill now applies 1 second of quickness and slow per pulse, for a total of six pulses over a 5-second duration.
  • Mantras: Mantras no longer need to be prepared before use. They regenerate ammunition normally.
  • Mind Wrack.png Mind Wrack: Fixed a bug that could cause the damage dealt to be inconsistent if another shatter skill was used immediately after this skill.
  • Split Second (skill).png Split Second: Fixed a bug that could cause the damage dealt to be inconsistent if another shatter skill was used immediately after this skill.
  • Mirror Blade.png Mirror Blade: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to incorrectly calculate damage reduction for consecutive hits.
Scepter[1][edit]
Sword[edit]
Staff[edit]
  • Winds of Chaos.png Winds of Chaos: Increased projectile speed by 25%. Increased casting speed by 0.1 second. Lowered aftercast animation lock by 0.2 seconds. Fixed an inconsistency with projectile behavior after bouncing. This skill now applies torment for 5 seconds to the first target struck and confusion for 5 seconds on subsequent hits to enemies. Allies hit gain might for 5 seconds and fury for 3 seconds.
  • Chaos Armor.png Chaos Armor: Reduced recharge to 25 seconds. This skill no longer applies a random condition to nearby foes when cast. Instead, it now applies blindness and confusion to nearby foes when cast.
  • Chaos Storm.png Chaos Storm: Reduced recharge to 25 seconds in PvE only.
Mirage[edit]
  • Chaos Vortex.png Chaos Vortex (Staff Ambush): The projectile now only strikes enemies. Up to 10 nearby allies gain boons. The boons gained are now might (8 stacks, 15-second duration in PvE; 4 stacks, 6-second duration in PvP and WvW) and alacrity (3-second duration). (Note: Boons are applied near the mesmer only, not near clones.)
Chronomancer[edit]
  • Danger Time.png Danger Time: Removed the critical-damage bonus.
  • Chronophantasma.png Chronophantasma: Resummoned phantasm damage is now 75% in PvE only.
  • Seize the Moment.png Seize the Moment: Quickness duration per clone shattered has been reduced from 1.5 seconds to 1 second in PvE only.
Chaos[edit]
  • Illusionary Membrane.png Illusionary Membrane: This trait has been reworked. While regenerating, condition damage dealt is increased, and condition damage taken is reduced by 10%.
  • Chaotic Persistence.png Chaotic Persistence: This trait has been reworked. Gain concentration and expertise while regenerating.
  • Chaotic Potency.png Chaotic Dampening: This trait has been reworked and renamed Chaotic Potency.
  • Chaotic Potency.png Chaotic Potency: Gain condition damage. Gain additional condition damage while wielding a staff. Recharge of staff skills is reduced.
  • Chaotic Transference.png Chaotic Transference: This trait has been reworked. Chaos Armor grants 3 seconds of protection. Gain regeneration for 5 seconds with a 15-second cooldown when gaining protection.
Inspiration[edit]
  • Restorative Mantras.png Restorative Mantras: Heal allies around you when activating a mantra. Reduced healing amount by 50%.

Necromancer[edit]

Necromancer is a flexible and durable profession. It's not currently in need of any major changes, but alongside general improvements to the performance of other condition-damage specializations, we're improving the necromancer's access to condition damage in Curses with improved condition application. We're also making improvements in Soul Reaping with Soul Barbs to increase condition damage, and we're making small improvements to the usability of several traits in the Blood Magic specialization.

Axe[edit]
Lich Form[edit]
  • Deathly Claws.png Deathly Claws: This skill is no longer fires projectiles at enemies located behind the player.
Curses[edit]
  • Barbed Precision.png Barbed Precision: Increased duration of bleeding inflicted from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvE only.
  • Insidious Disruption.png Insidious Disruption: Increased duration of torment from 3 seconds to 5 seconds.
Blood Magic[edit]
  • Mark of Evasion.png Mark of Evasion: This trait no longer has an internal cooldown.
  • Blood Bond.png Blood Bond: Reduced internal cooldown from 20 seconds to 16 seconds.
  • Blood Bank.png Blood Bank: In addition to its previous effects, this trait now grants barrier for health gained while below full health at a 15% rate.
Soul Reaping[edit]
  • Soul Barbs.png Soul Barbs: This trait now increases all damage dealt, not only strike damage.
Reaper[edit]
  • Infusing Terror.png Infusing Terror: This skill can now be used in midair so that it better functions with Death's Charge.

Ranger[edit]

The ranger is a potent damage dealer. We've seen that Soulbeast has extreme burst damage potential, and unfortunately in this case, this has helped create some very homogenous group compositions. In this patch, we're weakening "Sic 'Em!" when used by a Soulbeast by lowering the damage bonus to 25%, matching the current balancing for this skill in PvP and WvW. We're also increasing the cooldown of One Wolf Pack. However, while we do want to slightly lower the extreme burst damage moments from Soulbeast, we don't want to significantly lower its overall damage per second on longer encounters. To this end, we're also increasing the damage bonus granted by Furious Strength, providing an overall increase to sustained damage per second.

  • "Sic 'Em!".png "Sic 'Em!": When used by a merged soulbeast, the damage bonus granted is now 25%. When used by any other ranger specialization, or an unmerged soulbeast, the damage bonus granted to the pet is 40%.
  • Glyph of the Stars.png Glyph of the Stars: Fixed a bug in which this skill did not count as an elite skill for the purposes of triggering runes.
Soulbeast[edit]
Warhorn[edit]
  • Call of the Wild.png Call of the Wild: Reduced animation aftercast time by approximately 0.5 seconds. The pet's next few attacks are no longer unblockable. This skill now dazes and weakens nearby enemies when cast. Daze duration is 2 seconds in PvE and WvW, and 1 second in PvP.

Revenant[edit]

Renegade condition builds will be positively impacted by the general change to torment in this patch. While they will be finding that they maintain and even improve their already strong performance, we are preemptively making slight decreases to the duration of applied torment from several skills, as condition Renegade builds were already one of the most potent condition damage builds. We'd like to improve other possible variations to the current favorite Invocation build, and as such, we're allowing specific traits in both Retribution and Devastation to increase all damage dealt instead of strike damage only. Alongside these changes, we're updating the Retribution specialization to match the removal of the Retaliation boon (and its replacement with Resolution).

We're improving the strike damage of the Renegade's Kalla's Fervor effect by changing it from a ferocity bonus to a bonus to all damage dealt. This change will allow Renegade power builds to be more viable for general play in open-world and mission contexts, although it is unlikely to create a Renegade power build for high-end PvE content.

Soulcleave's Summit was a skill we had been watching; its ability to grant uncapped healing per second limited only by how many times someone can hit while under its effect resulted in unintuitive gameplay---when Soulcleave's Summit was active, players were incentivized to use the skills that could hit the highest number of times. This unpredictable rate of healing is not something that can be balanced. As a result, it created situations where it would allow groups to ignore intended fight mechanics. We're now limiting Soulcleave's Summit to trigger once per second per player, similar to Razorclaw's Rage. We'll still keep an eye on this skill; now that it's rate limited, we can safely improve it in future patches if needed.

Retribution[edit]
  • Spiritual Reckoning.png Spiritual Reckoning: This trait has been renamed Spiritual Resolution. Increased duration of granted boon from 3 seconds to 6 seconds in PvE only.
  • Determined Resolution.png Determined Resolution: Damage reduction is now gained while the revenant has resolution rather than vigor.
  • Resolute Evasion.png Retaliatory Evasion: This trait has been renamed Resolute Evasion.
  • Vicious Reprisal.png Vicious Reprisal: This trait now increases all damage dealt rather than strike damage only.
Invocation[edit]
Corruption[edit]
  • Fiendish Tenacity.png Fiendish Tenacity: Increased resistance duration from 3 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only.
Devastation[edit]
Renegade[edit]
  • Soulcleave's Summit.png Soulcleave's Summit: Life stealing can now trigger a maximum of once per second for each affected target.
  • Kalla's Fervor.png Kalla's Fervor: This effect no longer increases ferocity. It now increases all damage dealt by 2% per stack in PvE. This increases to 3% per stack with Lasting Legacy.
Mace[edit]
  • Echoing Eruption.png Echoing Eruption: Reduced torment duration from 8 seconds to 7 seconds in PvE only.
Axe[edit]
  • Temporal Rift.png Temporal Rift: Reduced torment duration from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE only.
Legendary Demon Stance[edit]
  • Embrace the Darkness.png Embrace the Darkness: Reduced torment duration from 6 seconds to 5.5 seconds in PvE only.
  • Pain Absorption.png Pain Absorption: Now also applies resolution to the caster with a duration of 5 seconds.

Thief[edit]

Thief has had some of the least build diversity in PvE gameplay for a while now, and it's overdue for some improvement. While we're happy with the power damage roles currently available for thief players, we'd like to bring back thief condition builds as another option. In this update, we're improving the conditions applied by daggers and short bows, and we're adding more condition-related power to the Trickery specialization by giving it a source of expertise and a multiplier to bleed damage.

Notably, we're also reducing the maximum targets of the stolen skill Detonate Plasma, which affects thief boon-build compositions in a few specific raid encounters. Now that we've added additional sources of quickness to the Scrapper specialization, we believe it is the appropriate time to also bring the thief boon-build role in these encounters down to match, providing boons including quickness for half of the raid squad. This will allow for less squad role shuffling in these encounters---if a squad still chooses to utilize a thief boon build, they will only replace one quickness provider.

Dagger[edit]
  • Wild Strike.png Wild Strike: This skill now also inflicts 2 stacks of bleeding for 3 seconds in PvE and 1 stack in PvP and WvW.
Short Bow[edit]
  • Trick Shot.png Trick Shot: Reduced animation length by 0.2 seconds. This skill no longer deals increased strike damage to poisoned enemies. Instead, it applies 1 stack of bleeding for 4 seconds when striking poisoned enemies.
  • Surprise Shot.png Surprise Shot and Malicious Surprise Shot.png Malicious Surprise Shot: These skills now additionally apply 3 stacks of bleeding for 5 seconds in PvE and 1 stack in PvP and WvW.
  • Choking Gas.png Choking Gas: Increased poison duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvE and WvW only. This now matches the duration in structured PvP modes.
Deadly Arts[edit]
  • Improvisation.png Improvisation: The cooldown of this trait has been reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
Trickery[edit]
  • Preparedness.png Preparedness: This trait now increases expertise by 150.
  • Deadly Ambush.png Bewildering Ambush: This has been reworked and renamed Deadly Ambush.
  • Deadly Ambush.png Deadly Ambush: Stealing also applies 3 stacks of bleeding for 10 seconds in PvE and 3 stacks for 6 seconds in PvP and WvW. Bleeding inflicted on foes deals 25% more damage.
Deadeye[edit]
  • Binding Shadow.png Binding Shadow: This skill now reveals the caster if they are using stealth when the skill begins. Reduced the aftercast animation from 0.25 seconds to 0.08 seconds.

Warrior[edit]

Berserker has been in a great place with strong support, power, and condition builds that are successful in all content. However, Spellbreaker lacks the damage it needs to keep up, and the line between banner support and damage-oriented builds is very blurry, showing that possible alternatives to the Discipline specialization were underperforming. With this update, we're making improvements to Tactics to make it a more viable alternative to Discipline, and we're improving Spellbreaker's damage capability. We're also lowering the base target cap of banners to 5 players, with the choice for support builds to utilize the Doubled Standards trait to raise the target cap to 10. All banners are now gaining light combo fields, giving all warrior specializations some access to condition cleanse combos.

Rifle is also receiving an improvement pass, improving its ability to combat multiple targets and giving it more utility as a ranged power weapon in general mission and open-world play.

Rifle[edit]
  • Fierce Shot.png Fierce Shot: This attack now pierces but no longer grants bonus adrenaline against vulnerable targets. Instead, it grants 1 stack of might for 5 seconds to the warrior when hitting a vulnerable target.
  • Crack Shot.png Crack Shot: Instead of granting bonus adrenaline when Fierce Shot hits, this trait now causes Fierce Shot to deal 10% bonus damage in addition to its previous effects.
  • Aimed Shot.png Aimed Shot: This skill has been removed.
  • Volley.png Volley: This skill has moved to slot 2 on the weapon.
  • Explosive Shell.png Explosive Shell: This new skill takes slot 3 on rifle, previously occupied by Volley. This attack shoots a large shell at the target that explodes on contact with an enemy. The explosion creates a cone-shaped blast that fires through the target, striking foes behind them and inflicting the crippled condition and vulnerability.
Banners[edit]
  • Reduced the number of allied targets affected from 10 to 5. The Discipline trait Doubled Standards now increases the number of allied targets from 5 to 10.
  • Banners no longer cause blast finishers. They now create a light combo field that persists for 5 seconds after the banner is summoned.
Strength[edit]
  • Peak Performance.png Peak Performance: Reduced the additional strike damage applied for a period of time after using a physical skill from 15% to 10% in PvE only.
  • Great Fortitude.png Great Fortitude: This trait now increases ferocity by 10% of vitality.[sic]
Defense[edit]
Tactics[edit]
  • Marching Orders (trait).png Marching Orders: Reduced internal cooldown to gain Soldier's Focus from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.
  • Leg Specialist.png Leg Specialist: Increased damage bonus from 7% to 10% in PvE only.
  • Roaring Reveille.png Roaring Reveille: Increased duration of the resistance boon granted to the warhorn skill Call of Valor from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.
  • Warrior's Cunning.png Warrior's Cunning: Reduced health threshold for bonus damage from 90% to 80%.
Discipline[edit]
  • Warrior's Sprint.png Warrior's Sprint: Increased damage bonus from 7% to 10% in PvE only.
  • Doubled Standards.png Doubled Standards: Reduced bonus effect from banners from 100% to 50%. This trait now additionally increases the maximum number of allied targets on banners from 5 to 10.
  • Axe Mastery.png Axe Mastery: This trait no longer grants additional ferocity for a second equipped axe.
Spellbreaker[edit]
  • Sun and Moon Style.png Sun and Moon Style:
    • Fixed a bug that could cause trait bonuses to be temporarily lost after recovering from the downed state.
    • The main-hand dagger bonus has been reworked to deal an additional 10% strike damage to foes with no boons.
  • Attacker's Insight.png Attacker's Insight: Each stack of the Insight effect now grants an additional 50 power, precision, and ferocity at level 80 in PvE. Each stack now grants an additional 35 power, precision, and ferocity in PvP and WvW. Previously each stack granted 45 power and ferocity.
  • Full Counter.png Full Counter: The attack portion of this skill now correctly triggers if the spellbreaker is in midair, allowing the skill to end correctly.

Black Lion Trading Company Gem Store[edit]

New Items and Promotions[edit]

Bug Fixes[edit]

Guild Wars 2 Wiki Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Listed under the "Sword" heading on the official patch notes, corrected for clarity on the wiki as this is correctly a "Scepter" skill.
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