Guild Wars 2 Godspawn patch notes (November 19): Instanced content changes, WvW balancing, and more
Guild Wars 2's Janthir Wilds - Godspawn update is finally here, bringing various balancing changes and content additions to the game. In this update, ArenaNet has made several balance changes to WvW including multiple profession skill changes, balances to world events, instanced content like raids and convergences with unique rewards, a new three-mission act, and more.
Disclaimer: Patch notes mentioned here are based on ArenaNet's official Forum post.
"Godspawn"
Greer and Decima narrowly escaped defeat at the commander's hands when Ura, the titan imperatrix, finally revealed herself as a threat. Now that Ura's steam wall has dissipated, the commander and their allies must climb to the top of Mount Balrior to chase down and challenge the Titans, uncovering more about their origins — and hopefully putting a stop to their noxious trajectory and blight over the lowlands once and for all.
Release Highlights
- The first Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds story update is now available.
- A new Mount Balrior raid with bosses and unique rewards is now available.
- A new Convergence is now available. Travel from Harvest Den to a squad-based instance on Mount Balrior.
- A new legendary spear, Klobjarne Geirr, is available for crafting. After the completion of the Balrior Peak story chapter, players can speak to a new NPC in Lowland Shore's Maul Boneyards to start their legendary journey.
- A new Mastery tier, Adept Handiworker Crafting, has been added to the Homesteading Mastery track.
- New homestead decorations can be learned and crafted.
- Six new relics have been added.
- Woad armor can be purchased in Lowland Shore.
- Updates have been made to Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure map rewards.
- Updates have been made to Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure Convergence challenge mode rewards.
- New utility stations are available for crafting.
- Quality-of-life improvements have been made to World vs. World.
World Polish
- Moon Camp Covert in Lowland Shore now has a charging station, jade tech offensive protocol, jade tech defensive protocol, and jade bot workbench.
- Increased the renown heart progress received from kills, successful events, and the Janthir Syntri: Warclaw Run adventure for the Old Hutment Site renown heart in Janthir Syntri.
- Fixed an issue that allowed champion oni in "Defeat the Oni" events to be constantly interrupted and unable to attack.
- Fixed an issue that could cause players to get stuck during the "Stop the enraged jotun from crushing the Bear shrine" event.
- Fixed an issue that allowed players to complete certain hero challenges that they had already completed.
- Fixed an issue that prevented enemies in the "Escort the C.L.E.A.N. 5000 golem while it absorbs clouds of chaos magic" event from awarding experience points or loot.
- Fixed an issue that prevented players from gaining gliding skills during the "Defeat the unchained wyvern" event in Siren's Landing.
- Fixed an issue that could cause parts of the White Mantle Control: Noran's Homestead meta-event in Lake Doric to stall.
General
- Players can now use handiwork workbenches in other players' homesteads. Crafting results will be added to the crafter's decoration storage.
- The Jadeite Fossilized Hippocampus consumable item's name has been corrected to Jadeite Fossilized Phyllopteryx.
- The icon for the Lowland Expertise effect obtained from renown heart vendors in the Janthir region has been updated.
- Fixed lighting issues in the eyes of some player character face options.
- Dungeon item collections no longer reference legacy currencies and now refer to Tales of Dungeon Delving in their description text.
- Creator Zee no longer offers items for sale before his renown heart is complete.
- The dungeon historian in Lion's Arch now lists dungeon information in the correct order.
- Fixed an issue in the Battle for Lion's Arch instance that caused markers to guide players to an empty reward location when the objective to defeat the assault knights failed.
- Fixed an issue that could prevent players from using the Become the Wolf special action during the Wildfire story chapter if they activated it while under the effects of other transformations, such as Death Shroud.
- Fixed an issue that caused an eligibility icon for the Ceremony Survivor achievement to be displayed during the Ceremony and Acrimony story chapter after the achievement was already complete.
- Lion's Arch: Fixed an issue that caused reward chests for the Troll's Revenge jumping puzzle in Lion's Arch and the Troll's End jumping puzzle in Memory of Old Lion's Arch to share completion credit, allowing only one to be looted per day.
- Fixed an issue in the Connecting the Pieces story chapter that caused quest markers for Taimi's golem parts to persist after players had collected them.
- The Megadestroyer world boss has had its nameplate display updated to reflect its legendary status. This change is cosmetic only and does not affect its strength.
Wizard's Vault
Wizard's Vault rewards have been updated for the latest season. Last season's unique rewards are now available in the Legacy Rewards tab.
Objective Updates
- New special objectives for the season have been added. More will become available throughout the season, including special objectives associated with bonus events and festivals.
- The daily objectives to defeat 10 enemies while under a nourishment effect and defeat 10 enemies while under an enhancement effect have been updated to award progress for kill assists and returned to the objectives roster.
- Fixed an issue that prevented some Crystal Oasis bounties from awarding progress in the Complete five Bounty Missions in Crystal Oasis or Group Events objective.
Inventory Updates
- Ascended armor and weapon chests available from the Wizard's Vault have been renamed to Wizard's Ascended Armor Chest and Wizard's Ascended Weapon Chest. These offer the same selection of ascended-quality equipment, but items now offer selectable attributes rather than a series of choice boxes. The range of available attribute prefixes has increased.
- The legendary starter kit system has been updated. In place of the starter kits, the Wizard's Vault shop now offers a Legendary Weapon Starter Key, beginning with this season's sixth set. This key allows the player to travel to the Mists Vault, a special reliquary of the Wizard's Vault, and redeem the key for their choice of four legendary starter kits. The Mists Vault also offers a basic explanation of the legendary weapon creation process and previews of the legendary weapons that can be claimed.
- Legendary starter kits now offer the player a choice between the Gift of Might or the Gift of Magic.
Rewards
New rewards await you in this release.
Story Reward
- Woodland Kodan Boots
Raid Rewards
- Sea-Glass Wave Weapon Set
- Mini Rot Strider, Mini Sentient Conduit, and Mini Ventshot
- Greer's Blighted Touch Backpiece and Glider Combo
- Decima's Gloves, including two variant skins
Convergence Rewards
- Blood Moon weapon set
- Four Mini Warclaw Cub variants
- Two Mini Hot Springs Bearkin variants
- Endless Mystery Bearkin Combat Tonic
Event Reward
- Mini Bog Queen
General
- Increased the amount of ursus obliges, Janthiri gearboxes, pieces of rare unidentified gear, and thimbles of liquid karma available from Janthiri renown chests.
- Charged titan ore, honey flowers, lowland pine logs, and rotted titan amber are now available from Janthiri renown chests.
- The following items can now be selected from the hero's choice chests:
- Verdant Brink: Hero's Choice Chest—Jungle Grass Seed
- Auric Basin: Hero's Choice Chest—Coastal Lumber Core
- Tangled Depths: Hero's Choice Chest—Palm Lumber Core
- Dragon's Stand: Hero's Choice Chest—Giant Mushroom Spore
- Crystal Oasis, Elon Riverlands, The Desolation, and Domain of Vabbi Hero's Choice Chests—Rare Flower Seed
- Rift extractions obtained from weekly rift hunting in Lowland Shore and Janthir Syntri now additionally award two renown tokens for the associated map.
- Six new utility stations can now be crafted. Recipes for these can be acquired from master artificers, huntsmen, and weaponsmiths:
- Bountiful Maintenance Oil Station
- Demon Slaying Station
- Karka Toughness Station
- Magnanimous Maintenance Oil Station
- Magnanimous Tuning Crystal Station
- Toxic Tuning Crystal Station
Lowland Shore
- An essence exchange vendor at Moon Camp Covert now offers Woad armor boxes in exchange for amalgamated rift essence and gold.
- A new Mini Bog Queen is a possible reward from the "Defeat the Bog Queen before she floods the area with maggots" event.
Janthir Syntri
Updated the rewards for completing the Of Mists and Monsters world boss event:
- Added Janthir Syntri renown tokens.
- Increased the amount of loot rewarded from magnificent chests. Added karma consumables and a chance for an ascended weapon or armor chest.
- Increased the amount of loot rewarded from other chests. Chests now contain either charged titan ore or rotted titan amber if the chest is opened in Stricken Plains or Moldering Greenwood.
- The Pale Branch Spear now drops as a tradeable weapon with selectable attributes.
Secrets of the Obscure
- Added map reward tracks to Skywatch Archipelago, Amnytas, and Inner Nayos, granting map currencies, experience, and fine rift essence.
- Increased the experience gained from the following events:
- The Defense of Amnytas
- Defeat Nourys, the Eyes of the Abyss
- Defeat Ignaxious
- Defeat Knaebelag the Terror
- Into the Spider's Lair
- Defeat Eparch, the Consumed King
- Increased the amount of map currency rewarded by repeatable event collection achievements.
Convergence: Outer Nayos (Challenge Mode)
- A new weekly achievement has been added to successfully complete unique encounters in Convergences: Outer Nayos with challenge mode active. Rewards include a new container with gold and a chance at exceptionally rare items.
- Introduced stacking rewards based on the legendary enemy reaching health thresholds. Includes experience, karma, coins, and loot bags.
- Updated the Convergence Challenge Mode: Bronze, Silver, and Gold chests to each award fine, masterwork, and rare rift essences.
- Convergence Challenge Mode: Gold chests give different amounts of rewards based on the legendary enemy.
Raids and Strikes
Strike Mission: Cosmic Observatory
- Dagda's abilities that instantly defeat players who fail to perform mechanics can no longer be avoided by applying invulnerability.
- Charging Constellation can no longer be avoided by standing on top of Dagda.
Bastion of the Penitent
- Fixed an issue that caused strobing visual effects to occur during the Samarog encounter.
Hall of Chains
- When the challenge mote is active, players returning from Dhuum's Harvest are now briefly immune to being captured by Ender's Echo.
Strike Mission: Kaineng Overlook
- Fixed an issue that could cause the Enforcer and the Mindblade to fixate on the same player.
- Fixed an issue that could cause the Sniper to become friendly and fail to disappear when reaching 1% health.
Mount Balrior
- Mount Balrior: The random exotic gear rewarded upon defeating a boss has been moved from the event’s clickable pop-up UI chest into the Greer's Coffer, Decima's Coffer, and Ura's Coffer rewards.
- Added a Weekly Raids: Janthir Wilds achievement to the Mount Balrior category to allow players to track which encounters have been cleared in the new raid. The rewards from this achievement are in addition to the weekly raid completion rewards.
Personal Story
Fixed an issue that could cause players to get stuck in the Secrets in the Earth chapter of the sylvari personal story if Riannoc was downed by enemies.
Items
- The Toxic Focusing Crystal consumable item has been renamed to Toxic Tuning Crystal.
- Potent Potions of Demon Slaying and Powerful Potions of Demon Slaying now apply their bonuses to Kryptis and titanspawn in addition to demons. The text has been updated for each potion's effects.
- The Portable Wizard's Tower Exchange gizmo has been updated to include access to Gharr Leadclaw's daily exchange tabs from the Crystal Desert and Cantha.
- Adjusted the prices of the Gift of Skywatch Archipelago, Gift of Amnytas, and Gift of Inner Nayos sold by Gharr Leadclaw and the Portable Wizard's Tower Exchange gizmo.
- Fixed an issue that could prevent transmutation charges purchased from the Wizard's Vault from being delivered properly while inside the Super Adventure Box.
- Fixed an issue that could cause the Fiery Dragon Sword and Icy Dragon Sword's elemental effects to display the incorrect state when drawn or stowed.
- The Demolisher prefix is now available for gear with selectable attributes in PvE and WvW.
Relics
New relics have been added. These relics will need to be unlocked before they are selectable options for a legendary relic.
- Relic of the Beehive: After using an elite skill, release a wave of pheromones that cause bees to swarm enemies struck.
- Relic of Geysers: Restore endurance to allies when you grant them vigor.
- Relic of the Mists Tide: Cleanse a condition from yourself when you successfully combo a combo field with a leap or blast finisher.
- Relic of Mount Balrior: After using an elite skill, create an area underneath yourself. Standing in this area increases your outgoing strike damage.
- Relic of Reunification: Gain frost aura and light aura after using a healing skill.
- Relic of the Steamshrieker: Burn nearby enemies when you successfully combo a water combo field with a blast or leap finisher.
World vs. World
- The siege equipment blueprint system has been simplified.
- Guild siege blueprints have been renamed to siege blueprints.
- Basic and superior siege blueprints are no longer usable.
- Players who have basic and superior siege blueprints can exchange them for siege blueprints by either double-clicking the items in their inventory or exchanging them in bulk at siege vendors in WvW.
- New infinite siege equipment gizmos have been added for each type of siege equipment. These can be earned by completing each siege weapon's respective collection, found in the new WvW Collections section under the WvW Achievements tab in the Hero panel.
- Siege equipment blueprints can be converted to other types of siege equipment blueprints by purchasing a pile of recycled siege equipment from siege masters in WvW and combining it with the desired blueprint in the Mystic Forge.
- Siege golems (formerly omega golems) can now swap between ranged rocket autoattacks and melee fist autoattacks. Siege golem health has been reduced by 25%, and the cost of building them has been reduced to 125 supply.
- Damaging enemy players and siege equipment will now grant participation for "Repel the enemy attackers" events.
- The (Weekly) Tower Guardian and (Weekly) Keep Keeper achievements have been replaced with two general objective achievements. These will be progressed by defending Stonemist Castle, keeps, and towers.
- The respawn timer for dolyaks that successfully reach their destination has been increased to 5 minutes.
- The dolyak requirements for towers have been reduced to 15 for secured, 30 for reinforced, and 50 for fortified.
- The dolyak requirements for camps have been reduced to 15 for secured, 30 for reinforced, and 60 for fortified.
- The dolyak requirements for Stonemist Castle have been increased to 40 for secured, 70 for reinforced, and 100 for fortified.
- New sentry turrets have been added to the traps and tricks vendor and the Portable Provisioner vendor. They have the same functionality as Edge of the Mists sentry turrets, but players may only have one active at a time.
- Tower and keep lords have had their base health increased to match the Stonemist Castle lord.
- The Healing Mist tactic has had its cooldown decreased from 20 minutes to 15 minutes and now grants protection to allied players with each pulse.
- Poison has been removed from Toxic Unveiling Volley (arrow cart skill 4) and added to Fire Barbed Arrows (arrow cart skill 3) at all Arrow Cart Mastery levels.
- The armor from the Desert Armor Box rewarded for completing the Crystal Desert Reward Track is now salvageable.
- The number of dolyaks required to complete guild mission escorts has been lowered to 2 for easy, 3 for medium, and 5 for hard. The time available to complete the hard mission has been increased to 30 minutes.
Profession Skills
Guardian
- Gleaming Disc: Reduced the damage multiplier from 1.0 to 0.8 in PvP only.
- Sanctuary: Increased the cooldown from 40 seconds to 50 seconds in PvP only.
Dragonhunter
- Shield of Courage: Reduced the duration from 3 seconds to 2 seconds in WvW only.
- Bulwark: Reduced the additional shield duration from 2 seconds to 1 second in WvW only.
- Hunter's Fortification: Reduced the base healing from 453 to 357 and increased the cooldown from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvP only.
Willbender
- Whirling Light: Reduced the damage multiplier from 0.6675 to 0.575 in PvP and WvW.
Mesmer
- Journey: Reduced the damage multiplier from 1.1 to 0.87 in PvP only.
- Abstraction: Reduced the damage multiplier from 1.35 to 1.0 in PvP only.
Thief
- Cunning Salvo: Reduced the damage multiplier from 1.0 to 0.8 in PvP and WvW.
- Spinning Axe: Reduced the damage multiplier from 0.5 to 0.35 in PvP and WvW.
- Venomous Volley: Reduced the damage multiplier from 0.4 to 0.3 in PvP and WvW.
Deadeye
- Malicious Cunning Salvo: Reduced the damage multiplier from 1.0 to 0.8 in PvP and WvW.
That concludes our foray into Guild Wars 2's Janthir Wilds - Godspawn update.