Guild Wars login announcements

The following is a list of the current Guild Wars announcements, published via the login screen of the game client. See the archive for older announcements.

Game Server Maintenance 10/28/2008
Guild Wars will be down for scheduled security maintenance onTuesday 10/28/2008 from 12:00 PDT to 03:00 PDT. During this time you will not be able to connect to the game. Thank you for your patience and understanding. See the Network News page for details: http://www.guildwars.com/support/networknews/.

Event announcements
These are announcements for special weekends and other in-game events.

Halloween 2008
Our Halloween fun begins on Friday, October 24, Noon Pacific (-7 GMT). Keep your eyes open, if you dare, for a horde of special event collectors and monsters dropping trick-or-treat bags. Bring out your spookiness for the Costume Brawl. And, on Halloween, October 31, watch for Mad King Thorn, who'll be making a series of appearances! The fun doesn't end until November 2nd! For more information, visit www.guildwars.com.

Generic announcements
''These are announcements pertaining to player accounts and Guild Wars in general. You will usually only see one of these announcements each time you log in.''

Chat Channel Changes
Players are reminded that the All (Local) Chat Channel is intended for social activities, and the Trade Channel is provided for trade activities. Players using the All Chat Channel for trade spam are subject to account suspension. see the Conduct Breaches and Outcomes document at www.guildwars.com/support/conduct_breach for more information.

Stay Secure
Never give out your password or other account information to anyone for any reason. Once someone has that information, your account is no longer secure. Remember, ArenaNet and NCsoft will never ask for your account access information, so anyone who does is not affiliated with ArenaNet or NCsoft in any way.

Beware of Phishers
Bogus emails and fake online videos promising access keys for in-game items or early entry into beta events are phishing attempts. They are designed to trick you into divulging your personal information, which is then used to steal your account. Don't get caught. Never give out your account information to anyone.

Bogus Videos and Security Concerns
Recently, scammers have posted two bogus videos on the internet to trick Guild Wars players into revealing account information. One video alleges to show players how to hack into Guild Wars, while the other offers early entry into the Guild Wars 2 beta. Both of these videos are directly linked to recent account thefts. Do not fall for these scams. Remember: never give your account password out to anyone, and look for legitimate information about the [sic] Guild Wars 2 on www.guildwars.com.

Strong Passwords Promote Safety
Acount theft is a real problem in online games. One of the best ways to keep your account safe is to use a complex password and change it regulary. You should also use completely different passwords for your games, fansite registrations, and all other password uses. Strong passwords contain at least 8 characters and use a mixture of letters and numbers.

Don't Get Hacked
Never download or run third-party programs that claim to hack Guild Wars. Often, these are used to steal account information. Attempting to run a third-party hack is not only punishable by account banning, but it also exposes your personal information to account theft. For your sake and the safety of your private information, do not use hacks.

Gold Buyers and Sellers Banned
ArenaNet identifies and bans thousands of accounts used by gold sellers every week. Gold buyers also face serious consequences. If you buy in-game gold or items, your account will be suspended and the gold or items you purchased will be removed from your account. See www.guildwars.com/support/rmt/rmt-en.php for more details on our policy on real-money transactions.

Player Account Safety
We've noted a rise in attempted game account thefts. Account theft often results from risky player behavior (purchasing gold online, sharing accounts, using third-party programs, answering bogus emails, or having weak passwords). To protect yourself, use a complex password and change it regularly.

I Have a New Key
If you've just purchased a Guild Wars product, click on the 'Create Account or Add Access Key' link in the login dialog to add your new access key.

Account Security
Beware of a new scam where individuals or companies offer to place trades, sales, or contest prizes directly into a player's account. Remember: once someone has your username and password, your account is no longer secure. Do not share account info with anyone.

Reminder About Purchasing Gold Online
As a reminder, buying and selling gold or items for cash is prohibited. If you purchase in-game gold or items, your account will be suspended and the gold or items you purchased will be removed from your account. Please read our policy on real-money transactions for more details. www.guildwars.com/support/rmt/rmt-en.php