Real-money traders beware! ArenaNet is cracking down on those accounts who are engaging in dubious trading practices such as real-money trading in its premier MMO title Guild Wars. In our full article, you can take a look at some of the preventive measures the company is implementing to police such activities in the game. Read more on this after the jump.

Through press wire, NCsoft Europe and ArenaNet just announced that the Guild Wars franchise, spanning three campaigns and an expansion, broke the five million mark in less than three years. Its hot streak is expected to carry on and give Guild Wars 2 strong footing. Check out the full article for more details.

In its attempt to provide players a global experience, ArenaNet just released an update for NCsoft's Guild Wars that allows players from Korean language districts to visit American and European districts. Soon, Japan and Taiwan will also be able to interact with western players without having to go to International Districts. More on this at the full article.

Winners of NCsoft's Guild Wars Mini Mania Contest have been announced. Those who were hoping they can bag some of the rare mini figures or are not familiar with the event ArenaNet cooked up can head over to the full article for more details.

If the Guild Wars Yuletide promo has enticed you to purchase some skill unlock packs, but you're not exactly sure how they work, then fear not: ArenaNet has released a skill unlock pack FAQ to help clear up any uncertainties you may have regarding your new item.

According to ArenaNet, you can use the skills unlocked by the pack in PvP as either a PvP-only or PvE character, provided that you meet certain conditions. Check out the ArenaNet's answers after the jump!

You can now take that love for NCsoft's Guild Wars to a new level, because a bunch of goodies are up for grabs. Whether you're into art prints, stylized shirts, pins, or other Guild Wars-themed swag, either the Guild Wars Gear Store or PlayNC Merchandise Store should have something in store for you.

Find out more at the full article!

Two experts share their thoughts in the latest Guild Wars State of the Game, as they talk about the MMORPG's constantly changing metagame and stagnant high level play. Idiot Savant's Ensign and ArenaNet's skill balancer Izzy discuss the problems high ranking guilds face now that optimum skills have been identified and are often used in GvG.

Get a skinny on what vets think at the full article!

It looks like NCsoft is getting into the holiday spirit rather early as it features the Wintersday 2007 Contest for the Guild Wars MMORPG. The game developers at ArenaNet want to base the next Grenth Wintersday helm off the winning entry submitted by the players.

In the yearly Wintersday battles between Dwayna and Grenth, players may actually be wearing your winning design as they fight it out on the frozen battlegrounds. Check out the contest details and prizes right after the jump!

ArenaNet staff and content writer">Sean Ferguson, ArenaNet staff writer, recently reported on what Arena Net's Guild Wars was like back then, and compared it to the way it is now from a competitive viewpoint, essentially taking veteran Guild Wars players for a stroll down memory lane. In his article, Ferguson reminisced about eleven "tales" that long-time Guild Wars players fondly recalled.

For example, Ferguson cited a few of these memorable experiences:

1. Elementalists, not Mesmers or Ritualists, were the ones who dished out lightning spike damage.
   
2. GvG battles tended to last a minimum of forty-five minutes.
3. PvP skills could only be unlocked through PvE.
4. The War Machine and Last Pride guilds dominated the metagame.
   
5. Fire elementalists were once considered useless.

Yes, those were the days before the only constant descended upon Guild Wars in the form of nerfs, skill balances, counter strategies, new professions, or simply new ways of looking at the game. ArenaNet's MMORPG has certainly come a long way since then, but if it's one thing that hasn't changed, it's the fact that Guild Wars can still deliver solid fun for its loyal players, even without a monthly fee.

 

The Xunlai Tournament House, a feature in ArenaNet and NCSoft's Guild Wars, has reopened for business during the new tournament season. The Xunlai Tournament House basically gives players a chance to win prizes by making predictions about upcoming tournaments, be they 1v1 contests or guild competitions. Players are awarded a certain number of points based on how accurate their predictions were. The more accurate the predictions, the more points the players get. These points may then be exchanged for great in-game prizes.

Godun, the Xunlai Tournament House Commissioner, even narrated the story behind his business. The very tradition of predicting the outcome of the championships rests on the history of Laihuen and Minwien, two fiercely competitive brothers who had competed in all forms of contests since their youth. Laihuen and Minwien had even invited others to join their tournament and test their battle prowess. It wasn't long before the games became famous, drawing crowds from across the land and beyond to bet on the outcomes of the tournaments. The Xunlai Tournament House and the games that are held there have since become a way of honoring Laihuen and Minwien.

Godun went on to explain that while not everyone can fight in the games, everyone has a shot at being a winner. This can be achieved by accurately predicting the champions of the tournaments. Winning via this method, according to Godun, is no less prestigious than winning the actual tournament itself.

If predicting winners sounds like your thing, register for free at the Xunlai Tournament House, make your best predictions and cheer your favorite character or guild on to victory!