Guild Wars 2 getting paid tournaments, private arenas

Paid tournaments and custom arenas will put more "Wars" in Guild Wars 2 soon, according to ArenaNet's Jonathan Sharp. The developer compiled a lengthy post on future plans for the MMORPG's structured player versus player modes, laying out immediate goals as well as hinting at longer-term priorities.

ArenaNet's first addition to sPvP will be paid automated tournaments. Players can either purchase tickets in the game's cash shop or earn them in free tournaments, with greater rewards of loot and PvP currency offered for paid competitions. Sharp said players can even make a gem (the cash shop currency) profit if they are skilled enough competitors.

After paid tournaments, ArenaNet will begin renting out custom arenas to Tyrian brawlers interested in practicing their skills or setting up their own map rotations. The arenas serve a similar purpose as private servers in other online games, letting players set up their own preferred parameters and play in private or public matches.

Sharp said the whole team is paying a lot of attention to eSports, and all of the maps are being made with casting and commentation in mind. While he made no specific timetables or promises, he said they know leaderboards, spectation, larger tournaments, and streaming are all important.