What’s the difference between playing for free and playing on an account with a registered serial code?
See the chart below for a full comparison of free accounts, core accounts, Heart of Thorns, and Path of Fire accounts.
|
|
Free Account |
Core Guild Wars 2 Account |
Heart of Thorns Account |
Path of Fire |
End of Dragons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
More Info |
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|
Content Access |
Core Game
Living World Season 2 * |
Core Game
Living World Season 2 * |
Core Game
Heart of Thorns
Living World Season 2 - 3 * |
Core Game
Heart of Thorns
Path of Fire
Living World Season 2 - 4 *
Living World Icebrood Saga * |
Core Game End of Dragons |
|
Character Slots (Total) |
2 |
5 |
5 |
5 ** |
5 |
|
Bag Slots (Per Character) |
3 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Playable Professions |
Elementalist |
Elementalist |
Elementalist |
Elementalist |
Elementalist |
|
Profession Masteries |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Accessible Regions |
Central Tyria |
Central Tyria |
Central Tyria |
Central Tyria |
Central Tyria |
|
Central Tyria (Core) Maps & Content |
Starter maps only until character reaches level 10 Lion’s Arch unlocked for each character at level 35 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Guild Hall Access |
Full Access to HoT Guild Halls |
Full Access to HoT Guild Halls |
Full Access to HoT Guild Halls |
Full Access to HoT and PoF Guild Halls |
Full Access to EoD Guild Halls |
|
Guild Bank Access |
No |
Yes (Accounts created after August 28, 2015 require SMS or app authentication to withdraw.) |
Yes (Accounts created after August 28, 2015 require SMS or app authentication to withdraw.) |
Yes (Accounts created after August 28, 2015 require SMS or app authentication to withdraw.) |
Yes (Accounts created after August 28, 2015 require SMS or app authentication to withdraw.) |
|
Guild Enhancements Access |
No |
No |
No Restrictions |
No Restrictions |
No Restrictions |
|
In-Game Mail |
Can only send to mutual friends Can’t send gold or items |
Yes (Accounts created after August 28, 2015 require SMS or app authentication to send gold and items.) |
Yes (Accounts created after August 28, 2015 require SMS or app authentication to send gold and items.) |
Yes (Accounts created after August 28, 2015 require SMS or app authentication to send gold and items.) |
Yes (Accounts created after August 28, 2015 require SMS or app authentication to send gold and items.) |
|
Whisper chat |
Except for mutual friends, can only whisper in the same map, one new person every 30 seconds |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Map chat |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Squad chat |
Unlocked for each character at level 30 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
PvP Chat |
Team Chat always available Chat in PvP Lobby unlocked when the account reaches PvP rank 20 Emotes, Map and Say chat unavailable during matches |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
PvP |
Can only access Custom and Unranked Arenas until PvP Rank 20. |
Can only access Custom and Unranked Arenas until PvP Rank 20. |
Can only access Custom and Unranked Arenas until PvP Rank 20. |
Can only access Custom and Unranked Arenas until PvP Rank 20. |
Can only access Custom and Unranked Arenas until PvP Rank 20. |
|
WvW |
Unlocked account-wide when one character reaches level 60 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Looking For Group |
Unlocked for each character at level 30 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Raids |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Daily Login Bonus |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Gem Store |
Items unusable by free accounts (such as glider skin) are unavailable |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Currency Exchange *** |
Gems to gold exchange available, gold to gems exchange unavailable. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Trading Post |
Can buy and sell items from a selected list. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
World Transfers |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Forum Posting Access |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
* Living World Seasons and Sagas may require additional purchase from the in-game store.
** Depends on the version of Path of Fire, the total base character slots can be raised to 6.
*** Newly created accounts must wait 72 hours before gems-to-gold transactions can be completed on the currency exchange.
How do I upgrade my account?
To upgrade your free account to a Core, Heart of Thorns, or Path of Fire account, you will need a serial code purchased from buy.guildwars2.com or one of our official retail partners. Once you have a code, you can redeem it in-game or on your account management page:
- In-Game: Open the Black Lion Trading Company panel (the default hotkey is [O]), then click "Redeem Code" and then "Redeem Item Code". Enter your code and click "Redeem" to upgrade your account. (Visual Steps to Redeem a Code In-Game)
- Account Management Page: Login with your account credentials. On the 'Overview' page, click "Redeem a Code" and enter your key. Click "Submit" to complete the process and upgrade your account. (Visual Steps to Redeem a Code using Account Management)
I upgraded my account, but the game is still acting as though I’m on a free account!
After you upgrade a free account, you’ll need to exit the game and re-log to see your permissions change.
Note that there’s also a longer delay (up to five days) before mail attachments, the Black Lion Trading Company, and guild banks are unlocked. You should see a message in-game displaying the time remaining before you have full access to these features.