During our presentation at the Moore Theatre this morning, we announced some exciting news. The next Living World story, The Icebrood Saga, begins on September 17—and in preparation, we’re including the Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns™ expansion free with the purchase of Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire™.

Get Heart of Thorns FREE when you purchase Path of Fire! Buy Now

When we set out to make plans for The Icebrood Saga, we knew it would be different. Living World Season 3 and Season 4 each followed an expansion that introduced new, exclusive Masteries. If you owned Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, we could be sure you had the content you needed to unlock the gliding Mastery line before exploring Season 3 maps. If you owned Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire, we could count on you being able to ride mounts in Season 4.

We want to give you opportunities to use the Masteries you’ve unlocked across two expansions’ worth of adventures, but integrating Masteries from both the Heart of Maguuma and the Crystal Desert would mean players who only owned one expansion would be at a disadvantage. Instead of continuing to focus on Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire Masteries exclusively or requiring players to purchase both expansions to experience all the new content, we chose to include Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns free with all Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire purchases from now on.

If you already own Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire but didn’t purchase Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, both expansions will be available on your account within twenty-four hours of the announcement.

If You Already Own Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

If you purchased and activated Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns before 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) on August 30, 2019, we’ll send you a Heart of Thorns Veteran’s Package through the in-game mail system. It contains an exclusive Mordrem Glider, the exclusive “Vanguard” title, and a Heart of Thorns Veteran’s Armor Voucher you can use to select one of sixteen Gem Store armor skins. (Please allow up to seventy-two hours for delivery.)

Players Who Purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns in the Last 60 Days

Players who bought Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns through the Black Lion Trading Post or our official website between July 31 and August 30, 2019, can request a refund in either cash or the equivalent value of gems. Players who purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns through the Black Lion Trading Post or our official website between July 1, 2019, and July 30, 2019, can request gem compensation.

Even if you apply for a refund, any digital items (like the Max-Level Boost or Heart of Thorns Veteran’s Package), or currency (such as bonus gems included with the Ultimate edition) included with your purchase will remain on your account.

Please see our FAQ for more information on eligibility and how to apply for a refund. All refund requests must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) on October 31, 2019.

To Our Veteran Players

Thank you for your loyalty and support. You’ve led the charge against Mordremoth in the depths of the Maguuma Jungle; you prevented an apocalyptic catastrophe by taking down the White Mantle and extinguishing Balthazar’s ambitions. Finally, you’ve saved all of Tyria from near-certain death by putting an end to Kralkatorrik’s hunger. We hope you’ve enjoyed the time you’ve spent in Tyria as much as we’ve enjoyed playing alongside you. We can’t wait to join you on your next adventures, and we’ll see you all on September 17 for the charr party to end all parties when The Icebrood Saga prologue, “Bound by Blood,” is live!