Megaserver

Megaserver is the Guild Wars 2's version of how both open world zones and instances exist and how they are populated. All players from the same region (North America, Europe, or China) are able to play together automatically, as they are placed into the same instance as everyone else in that region, until the game determines that the map is getting full, at which point it creates a new instance.

Mechanics

• Players are not segregated into separate copies of a map based on their home world selection. Instead, all players are placed into shared copies (instances) of the map, which will be instantiated as necessary to hold the current population of that map.
  • Maps are still region-based, i.e. North American servers are separate from European servers.
• Upon entering a map, players are placed in the copy of the map based on a set of heuristics which includes your party, guild, language, and home world. This increases the chance that you are placed in the same map as your party and guildmates, or other players who speak your language.
  • In the EU region, priority is also given to those using the same supported language, i.e. English, French, German, or Spanish.
  • To join party members on a different version of the map, right-click their portrait or icon in the party/squad user interface and choose Join In <zone name>.
  • One is able to type "/ip" to find out the map instance's IP address if necessary (many players use the last set of digits before the ":" e.g. 123.12.12.124:0, 124 is the digit people usually use).

Megaserver Map Queue Beta

• Players can now add themselves to a queue to join party members in open-world maps that are currently at their maximum player capacity.
• The queue can be reached through the party and squad UI by right-clicking on a player in your party that is within the instance you wish to join and selecting "Join Instance."
• If that map instance is full, you will receive a new pop-up that will ask if you’d like to enter a queue for the same instance as your existing party members. Accepting this pop-up will put you into a queue, which will give you the option to travel to that map instance as soon as capacity allows. Refusing the queue will result in the same behavior as before this update.
  • Being in a queue prevents you from trying to manually join another map instance.
  • After joining the queue, it is not necessary to stay in the squad or the party.
  • It's also not necessary to stay on the map you've queued for, as the queue function will teleport you back.

Notes

• Replaced the Overflow mechanic.
• The roll-out of the megaserver system was completed on April 21st, 2014.
• The Megaserver Map Queue Beta was introduced with the April 18, 2023 game update.

See also

• Introducing the Megaserver System
• The Megaserver System: World Bosses and Events