Guild Wars 2's Fifth PvP Season Brings Major Changes To PvP, Wintersday Begins

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Season 5 of Guild Wars 2's PvP Leagues began today and it is bringing with it some major changes to the way that PvP works. These changes have been made with the intent of reworking PvP Leagues so that matchmaking is improved, individual player skill is better accounted for, and the Leagues are overall more rewarding.

Perhaps the most important change that was made is that of the matchmaking system no longer accounting for pips, instead focusing on each player's matchmaking rating. According to the press release, this will "increase the pool of eligible players that you can play against, thereby improving match quality and reducing queue times." Each player's Skill Rating will now be visible and pips will no longer have any influence on their Skill Rating or prestige.

Pips will now be used "exclusively as a mechanism for earning rewards." They will be earned in varying amounts, depending on whether you win or lose.

Players no longer have a "personal score" in structured PvP. A "Top Stat" system that awards players based on earning the most kills, dealing the most damage, healing the largest amount of damage, etc. has replaced it, offering a more "meaningful" overview of how each player did during the match.

Additionally, structured PvP matches can now go into Overtime. Should both teams end the match with the same score or reach 500 points at the same time, the match will go into Overtime, during which teams have five minutes to increase their score beyond that of the other team's. In the event that neither team can surpass the other, the match ends and a winner is chosen at random.

Today also marks the beginning of Wintersday. From now until January 10th, players can enter Tixx’s Infinirarium and stop the "rebellious toys and sneaky skritt" that are threatening to bring the workshop's workflow to a halt. The Wintersday Wonderland jumping puzzle, the Bell Choir, and the wave-defense event Toypocalypse, and the present-hoarding Snowball Mayhem event are also available during this time. Participating in any of the festivities will give players a chance to earn various Wintersday-themed items.

Guild Wars 2 PvP Leagues Revamp