For generations, strife and chaos raged across Tyria as the great races competed and warred against each other.

Then the dragons awoke.

The all-powerful Elder Dragons rose from beneath earth and sea, wreaking havoc on a global scale. Great cities crumbled before their might. Coastlines flooded. Lush forests burned. Tyria was forever altered.

Now, the undead legions of the deathless dragon Zhaitan surge across the land, hungry for the destruction of the free races of Tyria: the Charr , a ferocious race of feline warriors; the Asura , magical inventors of small size and great intellect; the Norn, towering shapeshifters from the frigid north; the Sylvari, a mysterious race of mystical plant folk; and the Humans, an embattled but resilient people.

The time has come for the free races to stand together against the rising tide of evil. Magic, cold steel, and the deeds of heroes will determine the fate of Tyria.

KEY FEATURES

• A dynamic, interactive gaming experience. Your choices and actions have a real effect on the world around you. Will the besieged villagers fight off the rampaging centaur horde or succumb to the attack? You decide!
• Personalized storylines. Guild Wars 2 is YOUR story. Follow your own customized quest storyline as it evolves from choices you made at the beginning of the game.
• New depths of character customization. You choose from eight powerful professions and from five races— the defiant humans, the feline Charr, the unearthly Sylvari, the mighty Norn, or the ingenious Asura.
• An innovative combat system. Featuring amazing skills, combos, improvisational tactics, and environmental weapons, the Guild Wars 2 combat system puts the fun back in MMO battles.
• Intense player vs. player action. Take up arms in epic world vs. world warfare or test your skills against other players in PvP arenas.
• A rich, fully realized fantasy world. Developed over the past five years, the vast and incredibly detailed world of Tyria has been brought to life by an award-winning art and development team.

Announced with a PC Gamer cover article in 2007, Guild Wars 2^™ is the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars^©, one of the most successful PC videogame franchises of all time. Guild Wars 2 is a visually stunning, world-class MMO-but without the monthly subscription fee that other major MMOs charge their players.

The original Guild Wars series has sold over 6 million units worldwide and continues to enjoy an active and loyal player base that eagerly awaits the sequel. The franchise launched in 2005 with Guild Wars Prophecies and continued with Guild Wars Factions^™, Guild Wars Nightfall^™, and the Guild Wars: Eye of the North^™ expansion.

Guild Wars 2 is developed by ArenaNet^©, a 200-person-strong game studio with a proven track record in creating world-class MMOs. The game builds on the rich lore and innovative gameplay developed in Guild Wars, but takes us 250 years into the future to a radically reimagined Tyria.

Signups for the Closed Beta Event held in February 2012, Reached One Million signups in Just over 48 Hours.

NCsoft^© and ArenaNet^© were proud to announce that signups for the next closed beta test for Guild Wars 2 reached one-million signups in just over 48 hours. This impressive response from the gaming community, recording more than 4,000 signups a minute during peak periods, is a testament to players' demand for something new. The innovative RPG and online world design philosophies of Guild Wars 2 are proving to be just what they want.

Guild Wars 2 will launch with 5 playable races. The Sylvari, Norn, Charr, Asura and Humans. Each race has their distinctive traits which is detailed throughout your journey through Tyria.

The Story of the Sylvari... Long ago, a weary soldier planted a strange seed in the depths of the Maguuma Jungle. For centuries, the Pale Tree grew, branches arching over the forest, until at last--twenty five years ago--it bloomed, and the Firstborn stepped into the world. They were followed by their brethren, season after season of sylvari, wide-eyed with wonder and searching for purpose in this strange land. Shaped first by the Dream that nurtured them before they awakened, the sylvari now travel Tyria seeking adventure and their place in the world...

The Story of the Norn... The norn are a race of valiant, shape-changing barbarians. Boisterous, strong-willed, and passionate, the norn are an independent people that swear fealty to no single being. They thrive in their mountain stronghold by the sharpness of their senses, the quickness of their wits, and the strength of their massive forearms. They are guided in this world by their Spirits of the Wild, who embody the virtues of the mightiest beasts. As a people, they are quick to anger, even quicker to smile, and treat each new day as a personal challenge. They drink and feast and hunt with equal gusto, and fear few things. They are steadfast allies and implacable foes.

The Story of the Charr... The feline charr of Tyria are a victorious race challenged by their own success. They have survived defeat, oppression, and civil war. They have returned, reconquered, and rebuilt their original homes. Their mighty fortress, the Black Citadel, dominates the surrounding ruins of the human city of Rin, and their non-magical technology is the mightiest in the land. Yet despite their success, they are challenged by divisions among their people, the power of the Elder Dragons, and the ghosts of their own victories.

The Story of the Asura... They may be short in stature, but this subterranean race of magical inventors are intellectual giants. These incredibly intelligent beings use their knowledge and skill with magic and crafting to assert their natural dominance. In the world of the asura, it is not the strong who survive, but the clever. Other races believe they should rule by virtue of their power and strength, but they delude themselves. All will serve the asura - in due time...

The Story of the Human... The humans of Tyria are an embattled race. Over the past three hundred years, they have lost much of their territory. Old enemies and new races threaten traditional human lands on all sides. Yet the human race survives, defending their remaining lands and maintaining the human spirit as they have for centuries. Their greatest city, Divinity's Reach, shines as a beacon of hope for the people of Kryta and beyond - even those dwelling deep within charr territory. The human legends are indelibly imprinted on the souls of all the races of Tyria, be they friend or foe.

Within each race, there are countless hero's that spring forth to defend Tyria from the rising tide of evil...

The Mesmer - Mesmers are magical duelists who rely on deception and confusion to keep their opponents in check. Indecision is their greatest ally. Using powerful illusions to distract, they make sure they never go toe to toe with an enemy; they use their powers and tactics to set up an unfair fight.

Engineers - Masters of mechanical mayhem, engineers tinker with explosives, gadgets, elixirs, and all manner of deployable devices. They can take control of an area by placing turrets, support their allies with alchemic weaponry, or lay waste to foes with a wide array of mines, bombs, and grenades.

Thieves - A master of stealth and surprise, the thief is deadly in single combat-particularly when catching enemies off guard. Thieves compensate for their relatively low armor and health by being quick and evasive. They can move through the shadows, vanish into thin air, or steal items from their opponents and use them as weapons. Enemies should watch their backs, or the thief will watch it for them.

Guardians - The guardian is a devoted fighter who calls upon powerful virtues to smite enemies and protect allies. As dangerous with a staff as he is with a mighty two-handed hammer, a true guardian is a master tactician who knows when to sacrifice his own defenses to empower his allies to achieve victory.

Necromancers - A necromancer is a practitioner of the dark arts who summons the dead, wields the power of lost souls, and literally sucks the lifeblood of the enemy. A necromancer feeds on life force, which he can use to bring allies back from the brink or cheat death itself.

Rangers - The ranger is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of them all as well, relying on his keen eye, steady hand, or the power of nature itself. A master of ranged combat, the ranger is capable of striking unwitting foes from a distance with his bow. With a stable of pets at his command, a ranger can adapt to his opponents' strengths and weaknesses.

Warriors - The warrior is a master of weapons who relies on speed, strength, toughness, and heavy armour to survive in battle. A warrior can shrug off blow after blow to stay in the fight, all the while building up adrenaline to fuel his offense.

Elementalist - The elementalist channels natural forces of destruction, making fire, air, earth, and water do her bidding. What the elementalist lacks in physical toughness, she makes up for in her ability to inflict massive damage in a single attack, dropping foes from a distance before they can become a threat. Yet, despite her incredible offensive potential, versatility is what makes the elementalist truly formidable

As you fight brave and valiantly against Zhaitan and his undead legions, your choices will shape the world of Tyria. One day there may be a thriving village filled with vendors and townspeople, the next day that village may be a smoking ruin overrun by centaurs.

Dynamic events evolve and cascade across the world in response to how you, the player, interact with them, leaving persistent effects in the game world. Will you save that village or let it burn? The choice rests with you and your fellow players.

Guild Wars 2 is the story of YOU, and the heroic adventures you experience in the massive, dynamic world of Tyria. With the customizable, personal storylines in Guild Wars 2, you can explore a fully interactive MMO world with your friends and follow your character's own unique narrative.

Your story begins when you create a character. The choices you make at the beginning of the game - race, profession, and biographical details - set your character on a customized story track. But it doesn't end there - as you adventure, the decisions you make spin off into new storylines and new directions. Your character's story reflects your interest and your choices - no two players will have the same experience.

Guild Wars 2 offers storytelling that is both epic in scope and personally meaningful. What is your story?