Game updates/2024-06-25
June 25, 2024
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Late Notes - June 25, 2024[edit]
General[edit]
- The daily achievement Blood in the Water has been moved to the Sunken Treasure Hunter category. When completed, the reward key is now sent directly to the inventory rather than using a reward chest.
World vs. World[edit]
- Fixed an issue that caused some WvW teams in Europe to experience map queue issues.
Update - June 25, 2024[edit]
Note to users of third-party programs: The game may not launch or work properly after we release a new build if you use a third-party program, due to possible incompatibilities. ArenaNet cannot offer support if a third-party modification breaks, interferes with, or prevents you from playing Guild Wars or Guild Wars 2. Our policy regarding third-party programs can be found here.
Land Spear Beta Event[edit]
The land spear beta event begins this Thursday! The event runs from June 27 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) until June 30 at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7). Every Guild Wars 2 account in good standing, including Play-for-Free accounts, will automatically get character slots marked "Beta" when the beta event begins. Clicking on one of these slots will allow you to create a character using any of the nine Guild Wars 2 professions.
General[edit]
- Added an option to hide or unhide aquabreathers in the equipment panel.
- When the aquabreather is hidden and the player's equipped head armor is not hidden, the head armor will be shown when underwater.
- The aquabreather's attributes will still be used when underwater.
- Fixed an issue that caused some vendors' interfaces to scroll down when purchasing items from them.
- Updated the Sunken Treasure Hunter content in anticipation of an upcoming weekly event:
- Sunken chests have been added to the end of the Aquatic Ruins fractal and Siren's Reef fractal.
- Deadly piranhas will now subside after the Siren's Reef boss encounter is completed.
- In addition to resetting when the Master Diver achievement is completed, sunken chests will now also reset upon logging in or your first time entering a map after the weekly reset.
- The locations of some sunken chests have been adjusted within the map they are located in, primarily where they overlapped with quaggan villages.
- Hint cinematics for the chests have been updated.
- Ornate rusted keys can now be double-clicked to show a hint cinematic for the next available sunken chest in the Master Diver achievement.
- Dive Master Astora's merchant inventory has been updated.
- Swim-speed infusion upgrades have been condensed to encourage upgrading in increments of 5; single-point upgrades are still available.
- An account-based swim-speed infusion is now available. This infusion begins at +15 increased swimming speed and can be permanently improved for all characters on your account by purchasing upgrade items from Dive Master Astora.
- Infusable, exotic-quality aquabreathers are now available so that players can enjoy their swim-speed infusions before they have earned an ascended aquabreather.
- A limited number of extra ornate rusted keys can be purchased for karma each week, and excess keys can be exchanged for karma.
- Some of the new items will be available as prizes in an upcoming weekly event.
- Made various functionality improvements to opening and resetting sunken chests.
- Sunken chests have been added to the end of the Aquatic Ruins fractal and Siren's Reef fractal.
- Lowered the difficulty of the "Help Lucretia get back to Garenhoff" event to make it easier for one player to complete.
- Fixed an issue that caused players to become trapped in the catapults near Garrison Waypoint.
- Fixed an issue that could prevent the rockslides encountered in the Missing Brood collection from being in the proper animation state.
Fractals[edit]
Lonely Tower Fractal[edit]
- Reduced the boon corruption Eparch causes with Envy Empowerment.
- Eparch's Consume skill will only absorb emotion globules that are 5 or more seconds old.
- Reduced Eparch's health.
- Fixed an issue that prevented Wave of Envy from hitting enemies if they were standing too close to Eparch.
- Reduced the boon corruption dealt by Wave of Envy. The skill no longer corrupts boons on players who evade the attack.
- Reduced the health of the rift guardian champions summoned during the encounter in challenge mode.
Strike Missions[edit]
- Some balance adjustments have been made to the Temple of Febe challenge mode encounter to make it more accessible. These changes do not apply to the legendary version of the encounter.
- Reduced the duration of the Insatiable effect applied by Empowered Insatiable Hunger to 3 minutes.
- Reduced the number of stacks of Empowered that Cerus gains from Empowered Smash to 2.
- Reduced the health and toughness of Malicious Shadows.
- Reduced the penalty for failure during Empowered Crushing Regret. Failure to have enough people to absorb an attack will cause players to be downed instead of defeated, as will being hit by two of the attacks. Multiple failures or being hit by the skill more than two times will still cause players to be defeated.
Player vs. Player[edit]
- The number of ascended shards of glory required to purchase ascended gear from PvP vendors has been decreased.
- The cost for a set of ascended armor has been lowered from 1,200 ascended shards of glory to 800 ascended shards of glory.
- The cost for a two-handed ascended weapon has been lowered from 400 ascended shards of glory to 200 ascended shards of glory.
- The cost for a one-handed ascended weapon has been lowered from 400 ascended shards of glory to 100 ascended shards of glory.
- The following changes will apply to ranked reward tracks starting with the next PvP league season, Season 42, which begins on July 2.
- The total number of boxes of grandmaster marks obtainable from the reward track has been increased from 3 to 9. The repeatable byzantium chest also contains a box of grandmaster marks.
- Instant reward track potions have been added to each tier at a rate of 3 potions per 10 pips.
- Vials of karma have been added to each tier at a rate of 3 vials per 10 pips.
Personal Story[edit]
Secrets of the Obscure[edit]
- Additional messaging has been added to chapter 18, The Eleventh Hour, to recommend completion of the Into the Spider's Lair meta-event in Inner Nayos before proceeding into the story instance.
- A new achievement, True Ending: The Eleventh Hour, has been added to "The Midnight King" story achievements. Successfully completing the Into the Spider's Lair meta-event with The Eleventh Hour as your active story step before entering the instance will award the achievement.
- This achievement has been added to the list of achievements that award progress toward completing the Secrets of the Obscure: The Midnight King Mastery meta-achievement.
Items[edit]
- Players who misplaced their Saga's End Draconic Core or would like extras can now purchase additional copies from Sarettokk in Lion's Arch after completing all requirements to earn the item.
- Suffused Obsidian armor skin consumables' rarity has been updated from legendary to exotic to prevent the deletion confirmation from requiring players to type out the name.
- Fixed an issue that prevented Eparch's Empowered Greatsword and Eparch's Empowered Sword skins from being unlocked in the wardrobe.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Saryx Backpiece, the Midnight King Backpiece, and the infused versions of both to grant exotic attribute values instead of ascended attribute values.
Profession Skills[edit]
Below are changes to the balance preview notes we previously shared. You can see the original balance preview notes here.
Elementalist[edit]
Catalyst
- Elemental Celerity: Fixed an issue that caused this skill to fail when the user was holding a conjured weapon in WvW and PvP.
Guardian[edit]
- Leap of Faith: Increased the radius from 180 to 240.
Firebrand
- Mantras now automatically charge in combat in PvE only.
- Mantra of Solace: Increased the arc angle from 60 degrees to 160 degrees.
- Mantra of Lore: Increased the arc angle from 60 degrees to 160 degrees.
- Mantra of Potence: Increased the arc angle from 60 degrees to 160 degrees.
- Mantra of Liberation: Increased the arc angle from 60 degrees to 160 degrees.
Willbender
- Rushing Justice: Increased the Justice effect duration from 6 seconds to 8 seconds in PvE only.
Necromancer[edit]
Reaper
- Blighter's Boon: Increased the base healing from 85 to 101.
Ranger[edit]
- Stalk (Juvenile Jaguar): This skill now applies stealth to the ranger in addition to the pet. Increased the cooldown from 20 seconds to 35 seconds in WvW and PvP.
Revenant[edit]
Herald
- Facet of Darkness: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.
- True Nature (Legendary Dragon): This skill now cleanses 3 conditions from nearby allies when used.
Guild Wars 2 Wiki Notes[edit]
- Build: 164,824
- Frost Aura: Reduced the chill duration from 2 seconds to 1 second in WvW only.
- Bladesong Distortion: Fixed an issue where players could gain infinite distortion.
- Whirling Axe: Added a skill fact indicating that it reflects and changed the icon for the Number of Attacks skill fact to use the Number of Targets icon.
- Malicious Cunning Salvo: This skill is now a blast finisher. Increased the power coefficient to 1.0 in PvP only.
- Swindler's Equilibrium: Updated description. Increased the recharge to Steal from 1 to 2 seconds in PvE only.
- Natural Convergence: Reduced immobile stacks from 5 to 4 and increased the duration to 2 seconds.
- Natural Convergence: Reduced immobile stacks from 5 to 4.
- Devouring Darkness: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.16 to 0.928 in WvW and PvP. Increased the number of boons corrupted from 1 to 2 in PvP only. Increased the cooldown from 10 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP only.
- Existing spear related trait descriptions were updated to specify underwater spears:
- The Wiki version of the balance patch preview notes can be found below.
June 25, 2024 – Balance update preview[edit]
Hi, everyone, Welcome to the preview for the June 25 balance update! As always, the goal of previewing these changes is to gather your feedback before the live release. We'll be following the conversation and making further adjustments as needed.
Thanks,
Cal "cmc" Cohen
Skills and Balance Lead
General[edit]
- Heretic Amulet has been added to the PvP build panel.
- 1,000 Power
- 1,000 Precision
- 500 Ferocity
- 500 Healing Power
- Tyrant Amulet has been added to the PvP build panel.
- 1,000 Power
- 1,000 Condition Damage
- 500 Precision
- 500 Toughness
- Rune of the Ogre and Rune of Tormenting have been added to the PvP build panel.
- Taunt: Increased the defiance damage per second from 75 to 100.
- Frost Aura: Reduced the chill duration from 2 seconds to 1 second in WvW only.
Elementalist[edit]
With the recent introduction of pistol as a ranged condition damage weapon, we wanted to solidify scepter as more of a power damage weapon in PvE, and we've made a number of changes toward that goal. We've also made some usability improvements to dagger and staff by reducing the casting time of breath attacks and adding an initial defiance damage-dealing strike to the crowd-control skills that require movement. This update also includes improvements for support tempest builds with more reliable might and fury sources in PvE and additional defensive tools in the earth specialization for competitive play. Overload Air also gets a significant power increase in PvE as we look to improve power-based damage builds for tempest.
- Flamestrike: Increased the first-hit power coefficient from 0.225 to 0.5 and the second-hit power coefficient from 0.375 to 0.7 in PvE only.
- Ice Shards: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.24 to 0.4 in PvE only.
- Water Trident: Increased the power coefficient from 1.6 to 2.0 in PvE only.
- Arc Lightning: Increased the power coefficient per stage from 0.15/0.3/0.449 to 0.4/0.45/0.5 in PvE only.
- Stone Shards: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.15 to 0.5 in PvE only.
- Hurl: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.33 to 0.44 in PvE only.
- Drake's Breath: Reduced the casting time from 2.2 seconds to 1.6 seconds. Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.4 to 0.44 in PvP and WvW.
- Cone of Cold: Reduced the casting time from 2.2 seconds to 1.6 seconds. Increased the base healing from 944 to 1,416 in PvP and WvW. Increased the healing coefficient from 0.6 to 0.8 in PvP and WvW.
- Frozen Burst: This skill now creates an ice field before performing its blast finisher.
- Convergence: This skill is now a blast finisher. Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.2 in PvP and WvW.
- Ring of Earth: Increased the secondary-strike power coefficient from 0.9 to 1.1 in PvP and WvW.
- Earthen Rush: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW.
- Static Field: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
- Unsteady Ground: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
- Armor of Earth: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Mist Form: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
- Arcane Shield: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Signet of Air: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Earth's Embrace: This trait has been reworked. Gain resistance after using a healing skill.
- Earthen Blast: This trait now grants barrier to the user in addition to its other effects. Barrier will not be granted when attuning to the same element.
- Diamond Skin: This trait has been reworked. Remove a condition from yourself when you successfully combo a field with a leap finisher. Remove a condition from yourself and nearby allies when you successfully combo a field with a blast finisher.
- Soothing Ice: This trait now triggers after using a healing skill instead of when critically hit. Reduced the internal cooldown to 15 seconds in all game modes.
- Flow like Water: Increased the bonus strike damage while above the health threshold from 5% to 10% in PvP and WvW. This trait now also grants 5% bonus strike damage while under the health threshold. Reduced the health threshold from 75% to 50%. Reduced the internal cooldown from 10 seconds to 4 seconds.
- Soothing Power: This trait now also grants 300 vitality to the elementalist.
Tempest
- Overload Air: This skill now also grants fury to allies. Increased the power coefficient from 0.715 to 0.951 in PvE only.
- Heat Sync: This skill now also grants fury to the user before copying boons.
- "Feel the Burn!": Increased might from 5 stacks for 10 seconds to 8 stacks for 15 seconds in PvE only. This skill now also grants fury to allies in PvE only.
- Gathered Focus: The additional concentration from this trait no longer has a health-threshold requirement.
- Hardy Conduit: This trait now also grants protection to nearby allies.
Weaver
- Fracturing Strike: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.77 to 1.2 in PvE only.
- Plasma Beam: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only.
- Glacial Drift: This skill no longer requires a target. Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 2.0 in PvE only.
- Earthen Synergy: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only. Increased the power coefficients from 0.77/0.33 to 1.4/1.0 in PvE. Reduced the power coefficients from 0.77/0.33 to 0.01/0.01 in WvW and PvP.
- Stone Tide: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.15 to 0.3 in PvE only.
- Stone Resonance: Reduced the ammunition recharge from 50 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Twist of Fate: Reduced the ammunition recharge from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
Catalyst
- Invigorating Air: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Fortified Earth: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
Engineer[edit]
Alchemy gets a significant upgrade with the reintroduction of elixir condition removal on the minor grandmaster trait. This won't affect other allies as it did in its previous iteration, but it will give engineers some much-needed defense against conditions through elixir-skill triggers on the other minor traits and any other elixirs they bring. We've also added a more reliable source of fury, replacing the rarely utilized Emergency Elixir trait to give damage-focused builds more consistent pressure. On the PvE side of things, we've adjusted damage numbers on Grenade Kit, Tool Kit, and some of the holosmith's exceed skills to bring them more in line with each other. Elixir X also gets a fun addition: lich is being added to the pool of potential transformations while on land. We wanted to make the skill a more reliable offensive threat and felt that adding another offense-focused transformation was a more interesting direction than simply adjusting the individual chances of rampage and tornado.
- Healing Turret: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
- Personal Battering Ram: Reduced the launch distance from 450 to 0 in PvP only. Reduced the ammunition recharge from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.
- Elixir S: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
- Elixir U: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced quickness and vigor durations from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced stability duration from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in WvW only.
- Utility Goggles: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Detection Pulse: This skill now also inflicts vulnerability on enemies.
- Superspeed: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Pry Bar: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.5 in PvE only.
- Throw Wrench: Increased the cooldown from 17 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Increased the power coefficient per hit from 1.0 to 1.5 in PvE only.
- Magnet: This skill now properly plays its visual effect during the full channel. This skill cannot be retargeted. This skill now applies bonus defiance damage to targets with defiance bars.
- Freeze Grenade: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.75 in PvE only.
- Poison Grenade: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.75 in PvE only.
- Supply Crate: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 75 seconds in PvE only.
- Elixir X: This skill now also has a chance to transform the user into a lich.
- Compounding Chemicals: This trait now also removes a condition from the user when they use an elixir skill.
- Boiling Point: This trait has been reworked and renamed Boiling Point. Gain fury when you gain might at or above the threshold.
Holosmith
- Launch Wall: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
- Laser Disk: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
- Particle Accelerator: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
- Blade Burst: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35%.
Guardian[edit]
Guardian wards are another set of movement-requiring crowd-control skills that we're adding an initial defiance-bar strike to in order to make them more usable against stationary bosses. We've also reduced page costs for support firebrand builds in PvE to give them more flexibility, and we added some sources of resolution to the valor specialization to make it more usable for damage-dealing builds that rely on Righteous Instincts.
- Line of Warding: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
- Ring of Warding: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
- Hunter's Ward: The ward created by this skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when used in PvE.
- Contemplation of Purity: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Judge's Intervention: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- "Save Yourselves!": Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Focus Mastery: This trait now also grants resolution when using a focus skill.
- Monk's Focus: This trait now also grants resolution to allies when you use a meditation skill.
Dragonhunter
- Fragments of Faith: Reduced the cooldown from 36 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
Firebrand
- Epilogue: Ashes of the Just: Increased the might stacks from 5 to 8 and increased the duration from 8 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE only.
- Chapter 4: Shining River: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only. Increased the healing coefficient per pulse from 0.23 to 0.35 in PvE only.
- Chapter 2: Daring Challenge: Increased the taunt duration from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvE only.
- Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
- Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
- Loremaster: Reduced the page generation interval from 6 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only.
Mesmer[edit]
We've reduced the cooldown on a number of mesmer's defensive utility skills in PvE and made some slight improvements to underperforming builds, namely power-based virtuoso in PvE and condition damage-based mirage in competitive modes.
- Imaginary Axes: Increased the torment duration from 4 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW.
- Lingering Thoughts: Reduced the ammunition recharge time from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW.
- Phantasmal Berserker: Fixed an issue that prevented the initial strike of this skill from counting as a blade for the purpose of activating traits.
- Ether Feast: This skill now also removes one condition, plus an additional condition for each active clone.
- Decoy: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Mirror Images: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Veil: Reduced the cooldown from 72 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
- Signet of Midnight: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Mass Invisibility: Reduced the cooldown from 48 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
- Signet of Humility: This skill now requires a target. This skill can no longer be retargeted. This skill now displays an effect above its target's head. Reduced the duration from 6 seconds to 2 seconds in WvW only.
- Illusion of Vulnerability: Increased the number of vulnerability stacks from 3 to 6 in PvE only.
- Mental Gymnastics: Reduced the internal cooldown from 10 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only.
Mirage
- Sand through Glass: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
Virtuoso
- Psychic Force: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Blade Renewal: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
- Deadly Blades: Increased the duration of the damage bonus from 5 seconds to 7 seconds in PvE only.
- Infinite Forge: This trait now also causes blade attacks to deal more damage.
- Fixed an issue that prevented Bladesong Dissonance and Bladeturn Requiem from being affected by Mental Anguish.
Necromancer[edit]
Sword didn't quite land where we wanted in WvW, so this update includes some improvements to its damage to make it a more viable option. We've also improved some defensive tools for harbinger to give them some better survivability options and tuned up a number of defensive utility skills in PvE.
- Feast of Corruption: Increased the number of boons corrupted from 1 to 2 in PvP only. Increased the cooldown from 10 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP only.
- Satiate: Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 0.9 in WvW only.
- Path of Gluttony: This skill now corrupts a boon on targets it strikes.
- Gorge: Reduced the number of boons corrupted from 2 to 1 in PvE and PvP.
- Gormandize: Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 1.0 in WvW only.
- Consume Conditions: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Spectral Ring: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
- Spectral Armor: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Spectral Walk: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Signet of the Locust: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Well of Power: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
Harbinger
- Elixir of Ignorance: This skill now grants protection in addition to its previous effects. Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Elixir of Bliss: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Implacable Foe: This trait now grants damage reduction for a short duration when entering Harbinger Shroud.
Ranger[edit]
The ranger changes for this update are focused on tuning up some underutilized skills, with improvements to short bow, longbow, and the juvenile aether hunter pet. We've also granted the ranger more control over the trigger condition for Lead the Wind, reduced the cooldowns of a number of defensive utility skills, and updated the unleashed visual effect so that it will fade out over time on both the pet and the player.
- Poison Volley: Reduced the cooldown from 8 seconds to 6 seconds in WvW and PvP.
- Crippling Shot: The bleeding inflicted by your pet now uses the ranger's condition damage and condition duration attributes.
- Concussion Shot: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.
- Long Range Shot: Increased the power coefficients from 0.9/1.1 to 1.1/1.25 in PvE only.
- Rapid Fire: Increased the total power coefficient from 3.75 to 4.5 in PvE only.
- Signet of Renewal: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Signet of Stone: Reduced the cooldown from 80 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only. Reduced the duration from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvE only.
- Quickening Zephyr: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Lightning Reflexes: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- "Strength of the Pack!": Increased the might duration from 6 seconds to 10 seconds in WvW and PvP.
- Spirit of Nature: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 90 seconds in PvE only.
- Lead the Wind: This trait no longer grants boons when striking a target at long range and now grants boons when using Point-Blank Shot.
- Juvenile Aether Hunter skills have been adjusted as follows:
- Lunge: Increased the hitbox size, and reduced the cripple duration from 8 seconds to 3 seconds.
- Dimension Breach: Reduced the aftercast by around 1 second.
- Ley-Line Vortex: Increased the power coefficient from 0.3 to 0.5 in PvE only.
- Lunge (soulbeast): Reduced the power coefficient from 1.2 to 1.0.
- Ley-Line Vortex (soulbeast): Increased the number of hits from 4 to 8. Reduced the torment stacks per hit from 2 to 1. Reduced the power coefficient per hit from 0.6 to 0.35.
Soulbeast
- Prelude Lash: Reduced the power coefficient from 0.4 to 0.01 in WvW and PvP.
- Tail Swipe: Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from being affected by quickness.
- Wing Buffet: Fixed an issue that caused this skill to impose a 1-second global cooldown.
- Dolyak Stance: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
Untamed
- Unleash Pet: The unleashed visual effect will now fade out over time when applied to the pet as it does on the player.
- Toxic Shot: Increased the velocity by 33%. This skill now weakens regardless of whether the target is poisoned. Increased the poison and torment durations from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.
- Mutate Conditions: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
Revenant[edit]
Renegade is the primary focus of the revenant changes for this update. Power-based damage builds get a boost with an update to All for One, as the trait will now also grant an increase to outgoing strike damage after using a Legendary Renegade skill. We've also updated Citadel Bombardment to be significantly more reliable by reducing the spread of its missiles and slightly reduced the energy costs of a handful of renegade skills in PvP. Power-based herald is another build that needs some help in PvP, and we've made some slight improvements to its damage to make it a more viable option.
- Vicious Reprisal: Increased the might duration from 8 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE and from 6 seconds to 10 seconds in WvW and PvP.
- Charged Mists: Increased the energy gain from 10 to 15 in PvP only.
- Roiling Mists: Increased the bonus critical chance from 10% to 20% in PvP only.
Herald
- Shining Aspects: Increased the base healing to 533 in all game modes.
- Reinforced Potency: Increased the damage bonus per boon from 1% to 1.5% in PvP only.
Renegade
- Heroic Command: Reduced the energy cost from 10 to 5 in PvP only.
- Citadel Bombardment: Reduced the missile spread radius from 240 to 120. Reduced the damage coefficient from 0.452 to 0.225 in WvW and PvP. Reduced the burning duration from 1.5 seconds to 1 second in WvW and PvP. Reduced the energy cost from 30 to 25 in PvP only.
- Icerazor's Ire: Reduced the energy cost from 20 to 15 in PvP only.
- Soulcleave's Summit: Increased the base healing when summoning another warband member from 714 to 929.
- All for One: Increased the protection duration from 2 to 3 in PvP only. This trait now grants increased damage to the revenant when a Legendary Renegade skill is used. This trait will now only trigger while in combat.
- Brutal Momentum: Increased the base critical-hit chance from 10% to 15% in PvP only.
- Vindication: This trait no longer grants might when gaining Kalla's Fervor and instead causes the user to heal for a percentage of their outgoing damage for each stack of Kalla's Fervor.
Thief[edit]
Venoms are receiving a big usability improvement in this update, with an increased maximum stack count. They'll still be limited on a per-source basis, but multiple thieves will now be able to grant venoms to the same target without issue. We've also increased the damage on a number of sword skills in PvE to make it a more potent pick, and we reduced the cooldowns on a number of defensive utility skills.
- Crippling Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 1.4 to 1.55 in PvE only.
- Tactical Strike and Malicious Tactical Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 1.33 to 2.0 in PvE only. Increased the daze duration while behind the enemy from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvE only.
- Flanking Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 0.8 to 1.0 in PvE only.
- Larcenous Strike: Reduced the initiative cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only. Increased the power coefficient from 1.6 to 2.17 in PvE only.
- Pistol Whip: Increased the initial power coefficient from 0.37 to 0.74 in PvE only. Increased the flurry power coefficient from 0.79 to 1.0 in PvE only.
- Unload: Increased the power coefficient from 0.4 to 0.45 in PvE only.
- Shadow Shot: The unblockable shot from this skill will now pierce targets if the Deadly Aim trait is equipped. Increased the power coefficient from 1.3125 to 1.8 in PvE only.
- Skale Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of skale venom allies can gain from 5 to 25. Allies cannot have more than 5 charges of skale venom from the same source at any one time.
- Spider Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of spider venom allies can gain from 6 to 25. Allies cannot have more than 6 stacks of spider venom from the same source at any one time. You cannot grant yourself more than 6 stacks of spider venom at any one time unless Leeching Venoms is also equipped.
- Skelk Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of skelk venom allies can gain from 4 to 25. Allies cannot have more than 4 charges of skelk venom from the same source at any one time.
- Ice Drake Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of ice drake venom allies can gain from 4 to 25. Allies cannot have more than 4 charges of ice drake venom from the same source at any one time.
- Devourer Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of devourer venom allies can gain from 2 to 10 in PvE only. Allies cannot have more than 2 charges of devourer venom from the same source at any one time.
- Hide in Shadows: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Infiltrator's Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Roll for Initiative: Reduced the cooldown from 28 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Shadow Refuge: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
- Shadow Portal: Increased the number of uses from 5 to 10 in PvE only.
- Dagger Storm: Reduced the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds in PvE only.
- Pumping Up: Increased the might stacks from 1 to 3 in PvE only.
Daredevil
- Escapist's Fortitude: Increased the base healing from 456 to 684 in PvE only. Increased the healing coefficient from 0.08 to 0.12 in PvE only.
- Unhindered Combatant: Reduced the duration of the exhaustion effect to 0.1 seconds for all conditions in PvE only.
Deadeye
- Kneel: Reduced the initiative cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
Specter
- Shadow Sap: Increased the splash effectiveness of boon duration to allies from 50% to 75% in PvE only.
- Well of Silence: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
Warrior[edit]
This update includes a number of improvements for support warrior builds. We've significantly reduced the casting time of the defensive utility banners to allow them to be used more reactively while also bringing Banner of Tactics more in line with other stability options. We've also updated Martial Cadence to refresh Soldier's Focus when swapping weapons to make it a bit more accessible when it's needed, made some minor improvements to the strength specialization for competitive modes, and tuned up a number of defensive utilities in PvE.
- Inspiring Whirl: This skill now heals allies instead of granting them regeneration.
- Banner of Tactics: Increased the stability stacks from 1 to 5 in PvE only. Reduced the casting time from 0.8 seconds to 0.3 seconds. Reduced the aftercast by 0.3 seconds.
- Banner of Defense: Reduced the casting time from 0.8 seconds to 0.3 seconds. Reduced the aftercast by 0.3 seconds.
- Endure Pain: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
- Balanced Stance: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Frenzy: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW.
- Dolyak Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
- Stomp: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
- Signet of Stamina: This skill now activates instantly.
- Battle Standard: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 90 seconds in PvE only.
- Reckless Dodge: Increased the might stacks on hit from 1 to 2 in PvE and PvP.
- Restorative Strength: This trait now grants resistance in addition to might. Reduced the might stacks from 5 to 2 in WvW and PvP.
- Might Makes Right: Increased the healing from 85 to 98 in WvW and PvP.
- Shrug It Off: This trait now triggers when using a healing skill instead of when having a number of conditions on you. Increased the number of conditions removed from 1 to 3 in PvE only.
- Martial Cadence: This trait now also recharges Soldier's Focus when you swap weapons and causes Soldier's Focus to remove a condition from nearby allies. Reduced the quickness duration from 3 seconds to 2 seconds in PvP and from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds in WvW.
- Heightened Focus: This trait now also grants the user increased outgoing healing for a duration when striking an enemy with a burst skill, based on the adrenaline spent.
Spellbreaker
- Sight beyond Sight: This skill now also removes 3 nondamaging conditions from the user.
- Featherfoot Grace: Reduced the resistance and superspeed duration from 5 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP only. Reduced the cooldown to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.