You can pre-purchase digital versions at buy.guildwars2.com - early this morning it was buggy but I understand its fixed now

As for the Collector's Edition, they weren't kidding about limited. Some people in Europe have complained that their local store had ONE copy.

I went with the deluxe digital version.

Note: removed the beta key hunt link as its now gone.

More info:
If you pre-purchase the standard digital version you will later have the chance to upgrade to deluxe.

Pre-purchasing is not currently implemented at Amazon. Pre-ordering at Amazon will get you 1 day early play of the game (instead of 3 from pre-purchase)

Arenanet is trying to get more CE versions into stores.

Asian investors apparently expecting Guild Wars 2 to do well, they've been buying up NCSoft stock.


Apparently there is a limit to how many digital pre-purchases they will sell (make sense since you get into beta tests and they have to have some limit on that) but they have not said what it is. They have said they will announce when getting close to shutting down pre-purchase.

The elite skill Summon Mistfire Wolf will not be available until your character reaches level 30, which is when elite skills are unlocked.

The other digital items will be received through in game mail system.

Inside the Collector’s Edition – Rytlock Figurine

Wow, a mistfire wolf sounds so cool! Thanks, Guybrush.

Amazon UK is adding pre-purchase.

That CE addition video had GW2 rated T for Teen.

Dancing emote will be added to the game at some point. It was not in the previous betas.

Sylvari and asura were not in last two betas because Arenanet wants to keep some surprises. Even if they add them to future beta events I plan not to play them, I want to be surprised at launch.

If you pre-purchase you will get a thank you for purchasing email which asks you to register. After you register you will get another thank you email. You will not get the link to the game. That will be sent out when first beta event is near.

When you register you will be asked if you have Guild Wars 1 account to link to Guild Wars 2. If you do you will enter your Guild Wars 1 email address and password. After this you will be asked to enter your current email address. This two tier system has confused some people. NCSoft uses the email you used to register Guild Wars 1 as its ID so even if you no longer have that address (I don't) you still enter it when they ask for GW1 email. Then after that when they ask for email again you put in your active address. You want to link your GW1 account to GW2 because 1) your character names from GW1 will be reserved for your use in GW2 (you don't have to use them if you don't want to) and 2) your Hall of Memorial achievements in Guild Wars 1 will unlock rewards in Guild Wars 2.

The email thanking you for registering will include a link to a beta forum, however that forum is currently off line. It will come online during beta events. There is also an account modifing page some people have found but its not ready either. If you find it notice the "Work in progress" graphic and don't try to do anything.

Thanks Guybrush, you do a great job of keeping us in the know

Inside the Collector’s Edition – Making of GW2 Book

I wonder if they'll do the CD tomorrow or maybe the art work.

According to this Reddit, Your Survey Results Are In!. Human Elementalist is most popular character type and charr mesmer least.

Second to human elementalist was asura, third, sylvari. Most popular profession for charr is warrior, with more warriors being charr than other races. Most necromancers and most rangers will be sylvari. Most engineers charr. In addition to most eles being human most guardians, mesmers, thiefs also be human.

Plus the majority of per-purchasers bought the standard version. CE sold the least. 47% of people surveyed did pre-purchase.

How do your choices stack up against the reddit ones?

Results by race (*=most popular race for the profession, **=least):
Human Elementalist 352*
Human Thief 295*
Human Guardian 223*
Human Mesmer 218*
Human Warrior 190
Human Ranger 172
Human Necromancer 157
Human Engineer 114

Total humans: 1721. Human most popular race in general. Humans invented guardian, so not surprised human most popular choice for guardian. Charr invented engineer, kind of surprised at how many human engineers.

My choices for human: guardian and engineer. I see guardian as like a paladin. My idea for human engineer was that he picked the profession to use charr's own tactics against them, then his queen ruined his plans by making a peace treaty with them. Guardian will be dignified. Engineer fierce, which I hope lets him hit charr NPCs.

Sylvari Elementalist 276
Sylvari Ranger 224*
Sylvari Necromancer 204*
Sylvari Thief 203
Sylvari Mesmer 160
Sylvari Guardian 108
Sylvari Warrior 57**
Sylvari Engineer 44**

Total sylvari 1276. Voters seem to have stuck with the idea that the race closest to nature would prefer the professions closest to nature. I guessed correctly that engineer would be least used profession of sylvari. I think Killeen, the sylvari necromancer in Ghosts of Ascalon helped make sylvari most popular choice for necromancer. Sylvari third most popular choice for elementalist, after human and asura.

My choices for sylvari: elementalist (first character I plan to play) and necromancer (leafless tree, winter skin look great for sylvari necro).

Asura Elementalist 290
Asura Thief 179
Asura Engineer 177
Asura Guardian 148
Asura Necromancer 129
Asura Mesmer 114
Asura Warrior 94
Asura Ranger 67**

Total asura 1198. Not surprised by popularity of elmentalist, am surprised necromancer and mesmer less popular than thief, engineer and guardian. Not surprised guardian, with its use of magic is more popular than warrior.

My choice for asura: going against the grain here, warrior. Wanted one ever since I saw concept art of asura in plate armor. I could have chosen guardian but I like the idea of a member of a highly magical race choosing not to use magic in combat. My idea is he prefers to beat sense into the "bookahs" rather than trying to talk down to their level


Charr Warrior 235*
Charr Engineer 203*
Charr Thief 94
Charr Ranger 91
Charr Guardian 79**
Charr Necromancer 69**
Charr Elementalist 50**
Charr Mesmer 20**

Total charr 841. Charr less popular than it would appear on other forums. Charr clearly Arenanet favorite. In lore charr distrust magic users, seems players going to take this idea seriously. Engineer developed by charr so makes sense popular choice for charr.

My choice for charr: thief, female because I like look of female charr better than male.

Norn Warrior 180
Norn Guardian 162
Norn Ranger 126
Norn Necromancer 70
Norn Elementalist 57
Norn Thief 51**
Norn Mesmer 46
Norn Engineer 45

Total norn: 737. My guess is norn least popular race because they're perceived as just big humans, though they have a very different culture. Humans (like charr) tend towards groups, norn very individualistic. I wasn't expecting guardian to beat out ranger.

My choices for norn: ranger and mesmer. I chose ranger so I could start of with snow leopard pet and looking forward to one day turning into a half-norn/half snow leopard. I choose mesmer because I liked the idea of a big strong norn preferring to use brains over brawn. A picture of a norn mesmer clinched it. Memser will follow Raven.

The Book Carts of Lore - most of those book titles are references to Guild Wars 1 characters, however "Time To Dye by Kristen P" refers to Kristen Perry who created the Guild Wars 2 dye system.

That's neat...it's makes games so much more fun when little touches like that are added.

From Facebook:

Thanks Guybrush

Best Buy USA has standard digital and deluxe digital versions available for pre-purchase on their web site. No CE. Best Buy Canada has the CE for pre-purchase on their web site.

The Guild Wars 2 Facebook page has 460k fans. For every 10k on the way to 500k they will post a new piece of art work. Right now they have a picture of Eir swimming.

Still no blog entry on Beta Event Weekend yet.

Note: the Beta Event Weekend for Guild Wars 2 will be taking place during Guild Wars: Prophecies' seventh anniversary (28th).

Thanks Guybrush, I'll take a look.