Account

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Disambig icon.png This article is about Guild Wars 2 Account (ArenaNet Account). For other uses, see Account (disambiguation).

Accounts are collections of characters associated with a single set of login credentials.

Account types[edit]

Account differences[edit]

The original Buy-to-Play business model has since been modified by the introduction of totally free accounts (Play4Free), which include restrictions. You may see references to multiple different account types with varying access to content. Upgrading from P4F to other account types unlocks additional access and content. In order of decreasing access to content the different account types are:

Expansion
  • Full, unrestricted access to all content (including Living World content), free to play after one-time purchases of all current expansions and Living World episodes (Living World logo.pngLiving World Season 3 logo.pngLiving World Season 4 logo.pngLiving World Season 5 logo.png).
  • Full, unrestricted access to all content (sans Living World content), free to play after one-time purchases of all current expansions.
  • PoF Texture Trans.png Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire (expansion), unrestricted access to the core game, Path of Fire and Heart of Thorns content, free to play after one-time purchase. The first expansion, Heart of Thorns, is included at no additional cost as of August 30, 2019
  • HoT Texture Centered Trans.png Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns (expansion), unrestricted access to the core game and Heart of Thorns content, free to play after one-time purchase. This is now bundled with Path of Fire and no longer purchasable separately as of August 30, 2019
  • EoD Texture Trans.png Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons (expansion), unrestricted access to the core game and End of Dragons content, free to play after one-time purchase.
  • Secrets of the Obscure logo.png Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure (expansion), unrestricted access to the core game and Secrets of the Obscure content, free to play after one-time purchase.
  • Janthir Wilds logo.png Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds (expansion), unrestricted access to the core game and Janthir Wilds content, free to play after one-time purchase.
Core
  • GW2Logo new.png Guild Wars 2 (core), unrestricted access to the core game, but no expansion features, free to play after purchase, no longer available for purchase from ArenaNet.
Free
  • Free Account, restricted access to the core game, no expansion features, unlimited time, totally free.
  • Steam Account, same access as a free account, but with restrictions regarding account management and serial code redemption.
  • Epic Games Account, same access as a free account, but with restrictions regarding account management and serial code redemption.
Trial
  • Trial Account, obsolete (no longer available), limited time access with restrictions similar to free accounts.

Additional details on the differences between account types can be found on the Guild Wars 2 Account Types page and in the table below. Refer to the Limitations section for more detail.

Features Account Type
Free Core Expansion
Purchases
Requirements Default ArenaNet tag.png ArenaNet accounts only:
Redeem either a Guild Wars 2 Heroic Edition or
original Guild Wars 2 game key
(both no longer available for purchase)
Purchase any expansion:

ArenaNet tag.png ArenaNet accounts only:
Serial codes from ArenaNet Store or
approved third-party retailers
(Standard, Deluxe, Ultimate)

Steam accounts only:
Steam Store
(Standard1)

Epic Games accounts only:
Epic Games Store
(Standard1)
Gems 400 Gem earned in-game per 5000 Arenanet Points.png
In-game purchase with real-world money

ArenaNet tag.png ArenaNet & Epic Games accounts only:
Gem cards
400 Gem earned in-game per 5000 Arenanet Points.png
In-game purchase with real-world money
Currency Exchange (Gold coin to Gem)

ArenaNet tag.png ArenaNet & Epic Games accounts only:
Gem cards
400 Gem earned in-game per 5000 Arenanet Points.png
In-game purchase with real-world money
Currency Exchange (Gold coin to Gem)

ArenaNet tag.png ArenaNet & Epic Games accounts only:
Gem cards
Currency Exchange Gem to Gold coin Gem to Gold coin
Gold coin to Gem
Gem to Gold coin
Gold coin to Gem
Gem Store Limited 1Yes 1Yes
World Transfer Limited
(1-time service only via customer service)
1Yes 1Yes
Game Features
Content See Expansion for content unlocked based on owned paid content upgrades
Base Game Content Limited by character level 1Yes 1Yes
Level Cap 80 80 80
Masteries 0No 1Yes 1Yes
Character Slots
(Total)
2
More purchasable with Gem
5
More purchasable with Gem
5
More purchasable with Gem
Bag Slots
(Per Character)
3
More purchasable with Gem
5
More purchasable with Gem
5
More purchasable with Gem
Trading Post Limited 1Yes 1Yes
Guild Hall Features Limited 1Yes 1Yes
Wizard's Vault Limited Limited Full with most recent expansion
Communication
In-Game Mail Limited 1Yes 1Yes
Whisper Limited 1Yes 1Yes
Map Chat Limited 1Yes 1Yes
Squad Chat Account-wide unlock at level 30 1Yes 1Yes
PvP Chat Limited 1Yes 1Yes
Custom Emotes 0No 1Yes 1Yes
Looking for Group Account-wide unlock at level 30 1Yes 1Yes
Forum Posting Access 0No 1Yes 1Yes
1 Non-ArenaNet accounts cannot purchase deluxe and ultimate editions of expansions outside of the game. However, all accounts that own the standard edition of an expansion can perform an in-game purchase of the corresponding deluxe edition upgrade for 2,400 Gem.

Creating an account[edit]

A new account is created when using a 25-character alphanumeric serial code (also known as an access key). The serial code can appear on the distribution media or sent digitally via email. The serial code is associated with an email address and password that are entered into the login screen. Free accounts do not require a serial code.

Support[edit]

  • For account-related issues, players can create a support ticket or use the in-game support panel.
  • If an account is compromised, then an Account Restoration can be requested.
  • For Steam accounts, contact Steam support for issues with account access, management and Steam store/wallet purchases. For in-game issues and in-game gem store purchases, contact the Guild Wars 2 support team.[1]

Upgrade[edit]

Free accounts Upgrade prompt

A free account can currently be upgraded by purchasing an expansion. Each includes a new serial code. This serial code can be used to create a new account or upgrade an existing Play4Free account. An expansion purchase can be used to upgrade a Core account, as well.

There are three ways to purchase an upgrade:

  1. via the Black Lion Trading Company;
  2. by clicking the upgrade prompt always visible in the upper-left corner of free accounts; or,
  3. by making a purchase via the official website shop and then logging into the ArenaNet website to redeem the serial code.

Additionally, activation of a legacy Guild Wars 2 Heroic Edition serial code will upgrade an account and lift all free-to-play restrictions without granting any expansion access. Heroic Edition keys were the retail equivalent to the original Digital Deluxe Upgrade - their sale has been discontinued, but they are occasionally issued during special promotions and existing keys are still functional.

Steam accounts cannot be upgraded with serial codes and can only purchase expansions through the Steam store.[1]

Characteristics[edit]

Many characteristics are associated with an account and shared by all characters on an account.

Home world[edit]

Each new account must select a home world as part of the initial setup. This selection is only relevant when accessing World versus World. Accounts can be transferred to a different world once every 7 days, if the new world is not full.

If there are no characters in the account then the transfer is free. Otherwise, there is a cost that is determined by the population of the new world. The account is logged out during the transfer process, which might take 5-30 minutes.

Initial resources[edit]

New (paid/fully unlocked) accounts receive the following:

Items[edit]

Progress[edit]

Upgrades and unlocks[edit]

Player interactions[edit]

  • Contacts are shared across the entire account.
  • Mail sent by another player can be read and deleted by any character in the account. However, selected game-generated mail can only be read and deleted by one character.
  • Guilds can be associated with an account. Each character can choose to represent a different one of five guilds. Only one character per account needs to be invited, since each will show up in the guild roster as a single member, however, each character must individually press the "represent" button if they wish to use certain guild perks.

Limitations[edit]

Certain limitations apply to all accounts. Guild Wars 2 (core) accounts do not have access to Heart of Thorns (expansion), Path of Fire (expansion), End of Dragons (expansion) or Secrets of the Obscure (expansion) features. In particular, they are not able to use gliding, obtain any mount, skiff, fish and unlock the mastery points in central Tyria. They are not able to buy any expansion-related items in the Gem Store and Wizard's Vault, but they can buy and use the items from other expansions on Trading Post. Additional limitations apply only to free accounts.

Character level requirement[edit]

Some content is restricted until at least one character on the account has reached the minimum level requirement, after which all characters in the account have access, regardless of level.

Mail

Cannot compose mail until level 2, but may receive mail.

User interface

[verification requested]

These game modes can still be accessed through the asura gates in Lion's Arch or key binding the panels.

Game mechanics

Hero challenges unlocked at level 11.

Time requirement[edit]

Some content is restricted until sufficient real-world time has passed. The timer starts once a code for an expansion or the core game gets applied to the account.

Three day
  • Currency Exchange in the Gem store after account creation to combat botting and scams.
  • All deposits and withdrawals to the Guild Vault after joining a Guild for verified accounts. The time remaining is shown on the Guild Vault display and the entire vault is "grayed out". This timer is reset if you leave and rejoin a guild. It is not affected by either Guild Rank or Vault permissions.
Five day
  • The trading post limits (ability to buy or sell certain items) are removed 5 days after code application.
  • Access to the Guild Vault regardless of Guild Rank will become available 5 days after code application.
Seven day

There is a restriction of 500 Gold coin per week on the total amount any account may receive from a Guild Vault or via in-game mail. If this is exceeded using the Guild Vault then the "withdraw" button is "greyed out". If exceeded using in-game mail then when you hover over the "Take All" button", you may see:

This would exceed the value allowed to be received by this account this week. Each account can only receive 5,000,000 coins per week through in-game mail or the Guild Vault. Please wait and try again later.

— In-game message

First month

The first 30 days following creation, a new account is limited as follows:

  • Amount of coin or item with assigned value that can be mailed. However, any amount can be received.
  • Value of items both deposited into and withdrawn from a Guild Vault.

The amount you are allowed increases by approximately one gold every 10 hours. The exact amount of the coin limit is determined by the level of the highest level character of the account. When this amount is exceeded, the error message that appears is:

This transfer would exceed the total value of transfers allowed for new accounts. As you continue to play, your account will be allowed to transfer higher values. New account limits are necessary to protect your online experience from fraud and illegal trading. We apologize for the temporary inconvenience.

— In-game message

  • An unlimited amount of items that have no assigned value can be transferred by new accounts regardless of their price on the Trading Post.
  • Multiple small amounts of gold can be transferred by new accounts even though equivalent large, single transfers are blocked.

Free accounts[edit]

3 of 5 character slots locked out

Free accounts have a number of additional restrictions placed on them, with the intent of preventing malicious persons from using them to disrupt the game and to encourage purchase of the game.

  • Initial character slots (2). The other 3 of 5 initial slots are locked.
  • Bag slots per character (3): 20 slot Starter Backpack plus 2 expansion slots, initially empty.
  • In-game mail limited to mutual friends; prohibits sending coin and items, but they can both be received.
  • Guild hall features: Guild Vault, Guild Enhancements and Guild Portal are unavailable, but full access to all other guild features.
  • Gem Store limited to items usable by free accounts.
  • Currency Exchangegems to gold exchange available, gold to gems exchange unavailable.
  • Transferring to different worlds is unavailable, except through customer service. (Customer service will, as a one-time service, assist free players who initially chose the wrong server.)[2]
  • Official forum posting unavailable.

Character level requirement[edit]

Character specific

  • Only starter maps can be accessed until character level 10.
    • There is one waypoint in every starting area automatically available for transport before level 35.
    • Attempting to leave the starting area will give the following message: "You must be level 10 to enter this area. You can open your map by pressing M to travel to other starting zones. Upgrade your account with a Guild Wars 2 expansion to access this area immediately."
  • Lion's Arch is unlocked at character level 35.
    • Attempting to enter Lion's Arch before level 35 will give the following message: "You must be level 35 to enter this area. You can open your map by pressing M and travel to other starting zones. Upgrade your account with a Guild Wars 2 expansion to access this area immediately."

Account wide

Chat[edit]

  • Map chat messages are rate-limited.
  • Whisper chat is limited to mutual friends and people in the same map. Mentors can talk to players via whisper.
    • For non-friends, can only whisper one new person every 30 seconds.
  • Players cannot use custom emotes. (/e, /me, etc., but can still use emotes such as /talk, /dance, etc.)
  • Squad chat unlocked at character level 30.
  • PvP chat:
    • team chat available
    • PvP Lobby chat unlocked at PvP Rank 20
    • emotes, map chat, and say chat disabled during matches

Trading Post[edit]

Trading Post is limited, either for buying or selling, to items from a selected list, which are as follows:

Not allowed items will be grayed-out with a locked symbol in the lower-left corner.

Non-ArenaNet accounts[edit]

Free to play accounts can be created through Steam or Epic Games, but will have the additional limitations of #Free accounts as described above.

Steam accounts[edit]

Primary article: Steam

Steam accounts have the following restrictions:[1]

  • Only accounts created via Steam can be used to log in to the game via Steam. Accounts created through the Guild Wars 2 website cannot be transferred there.
  • Account authentication from ArenaNet is not available for Steam accounts. Steam may have authentication options for Steam accounts.
  • Gem codes cannot be added to a Steam account in game or on the website.
  • Expansion game codes cannot be added to a Steam account. Expansions must be purchased via Steam.
  • Deluxe and Ultimate editions of expansions are not available on Steam. Steam does not offer any collections containing gems.
  • A Guild Wars account cannot be linked to a Guild Wars 2 Steam account. However, a Guild Wars account created via Steam can be linked to an ArenaNet Guild Wars 2 account.

Epic Games accounts[edit]

Primary article: Epic Games Store

Epic Games accounts have the following restrictions:[3]

  • Only accounts created via Epic Games Store can be used to log in to the game via Epic Games. Accounts created through the Guild Wars 2 website cannot be transferred there.
  • Expansion game codes cannot be added to an Epic Games account. Expansions must be purchased via Epic Games Store.
  • Deluxe and Ultimate editions of expansions are not available on Epic Games. Epic Games does not offer any collections containing gems.
  • A Guild Wars account cannot be linked to a Guild Wars 2 Epic Games account. However, a Guild Wars account created via Steam can be linked to an ArenaNet Guild Wars 2 account.

Linking a Guild Wars account[edit]

Only ArenaNet accounts can be linked to an original Guild Wars account and gain bonuses through the Hall of Monuments. This service is available in the Game Content section on the official My Account website.

Unlock access to your earned achievements and rewards by linking your Guild Wars account with your ArenaNet account. Enter your original Guild Wars account name and password below to link your accounts. To calculate your achievements and rewards, visit the Hall of Monuments.

Linking is irreversible. Once both accounts are linked, your ArenaNet account information will be used to log in to both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2.

— My Account website

Trivia[edit]

  • Epic Games Accounts became available on November 12, 2024.
  • Steam Accounts became available on August 23, 2022.
  • Free Accounts became available on August 29, 2015.
  • Trial Accounts were previously available during trial weekends and had similar restrictions as the Free Accounts.

External links[edit]

References[edit]