A new update for Guild Wars 2 is out today that adds in a bunch of new content and features for those enjoying the Visions of Eternity expansion. Some of the biggest new additions in this update include the new raid, Guardian's Glade, a Quickplay mode for raid encounters, a raid system revamp, new Fashion Templates, and a refresh of the seasonal Wizard's Vault.
For the fashionistas out there, ArenaNet added new fashion templates. This will allow players to save cosmetic appearances for their armor, outfit, weapons, backpacks, and dyes to various templates. These templates can be quickly swapped on the fly and all players have access to two template slots right out of the gate. Free Transmutation Charges were also sent to every player today to experiment a bit with this new feature.
The new raid, Guardian's Glade, sends in squads of 10 players to go up against the Guardians of Castora. A challenge mode version of this raid will be added in roughly three weeks.
For those who enjoy running raids and dungeons in Guild Wars 2, a couple of new features were also just introduced. Raid Quickplay allows you to queue up and be matched with nine other players to challenge "one of several pre-selected raid encounters." ArenaNet put up a blog that details how this system works, which should be familiar to those that have used Quickplay for Fractals of the Mists. The raid system itself has also been refreshed. It should be easier to navigate now. There are also new achievements and rewards.
A few videos and images can be found below. Also included below is an image showing off new Twitch drops that you can snag when you watch Guild Wars 2 streams on Twitch. These drops are live until February 8 at 11:59 PM PT. You can also check out some of the rewards for the Lunar New Years event that is live now through to February 24th.
"This update is about making some of Guild Wars 2’s most played systems better across the board,” said Josh Davis, Game Director. “By unifying raids and strikes, refreshing the interface, updating rewards, and introducing quickplay and leaderboards, we’re creating a more cohesive and approachable endgame experience. At the same time, Fashion Templates give players more freedom to express themselves, which has always been a core part of how people engage with the game."
New Raid: Squads of 10 players can prove their mettle against one of the Guardians of Castora in the newest raid encounter, Guardian’s Glade. This will be followed in three weeks by an additional challenge mode version of the same encounter.
Raid Quickplay: Building on the success of the Fractals of the Mists quickplay system that debuted in 2025, raid quickplay allows players to queue up to be matched with nine other players to challenge one of several pre-selected raid encounters.
Raid System Refresh: An overhaul to the raid system makes the feature easier to access and navigate while introducing new achievements and rewards. Single-boss encounters previously known as “Strike Missions” have been reworked into the raid system as raid encounters, and rewards have been updated to unify the currency used for rewards across raid wings and encounters. New achievements like the epic “Raid God” achievement provide rewards for players at all stages of their raiding journeys.
Fashion Templates: This new feature allows players to save cosmetic appearances for their armor, outfit, weapons, backpacks, and dyes to templates which can then be swapped between on the fly. All players have access to two free template slots by default. To celebrate the launch of this new feature, players have received an in-game mail with free Transmutation Charges to experiment with the system.
Wizard’s Vault & Rewards: A new set of special objectives are available in the Wizard’s Vault, and its rewards have been refreshed for a new season. In addition, the Endless Summer legendary ring, which surrounds players with effects of a sandy beach and splashing water, is available for acquisition. And the raid system update is accompanied by new rewards, including the first-ever raid-exclusive mount, a Dhuum-themed skyscale skin.
Lunar New Year: Today’s release also begins the Lunar New Year festival with new rewards, featuring a boot armor skin that grants characters the appearance of having hooves. Past festivals have awarded armor skins allowing players to don avian or draconic faces and serpentine tails, opening up new types of choices for how their characters present in the world.
New Raid: Squads of 10 players can prove their mettle against one of the Guardians of Castora in the newest raid encounter, Guardian’s Glade. This will be followed in three weeks by an additional challenge mode version of the same encounter.
Raid Quickplay: Building on the success of the Fractals of the Mists quickplay system that debuted in 2025, raid quickplay allows players to queue up to be matched with nine other players to challenge one of several pre-selected raid encounters.
Raid System Refresh: An overhaul to the raid system makes the feature easier to access and navigate while introducing new achievements and rewards. Single-boss encounters previously known as “Strike Missions” have been reworked into the raid system as raid encounters, and rewards have been updated to unify the currency used for rewards across raid wings and encounters. New achievements like the epic “Raid God” achievement provide rewards for players at all stages of their raiding journeys.
Fashion Templates: This new feature allows players to save cosmetic appearances for their armor, outfit, weapons, backpacks, and dyes to templates which can then be swapped between on the fly. All players have access to two free template slots by default. To celebrate the launch of this new feature, players have received an in-game mail with free Transmutation Charges to experiment with the system.
Wizard’s Vault & Rewards: A new set of special objectives are available in the Wizard’s Vault, and its rewards have been refreshed for a new season. In addition, the Endless Summer legendary ring, which surrounds players with effects of a sandy beach and splashing water, is available for acquisition. And the raid system update is accompanied by new rewards, including the first-ever raid-exclusive mount, a Dhuum-themed skyscale skin.
Lunar New Year: Today’s release also begins the Lunar New Year festival with new rewards, featuring a boot armor skin that grants characters the appearance of having hooves. Past festivals have awarded armor skins allowing players to don avian or draconic faces and serpentine tails, opening up new types of choices for how their characters present in the world.
