ArenaNet wants to make sure your Guild Wars 2 account is secure, and apparently just reminding gamers to stop using “PASSWORD123” for every website isn’t good enough because we’re idiots. That’s precisely why the studio is rolling out SMS verification later this summer.
“Once you associate a phone number with your account, if someone tries to log in to your account from a new location, we’ll send an SMS to your cell phone or call your landline to verify that it’s you,” explains ArenaNet’s Mike O’Brien. He argues that SMS is better for players than Google-style authenticators, as phone numbers are less ephemeral and less convenient for hackers.
Meanwhile, ArenaNet pushed a patch to the game today with new graphics options, new markers in Lion’s Arch, and some balance and bug fixes. There’s a living world recap too:
“Magister Ela Makkay of the Durmand Priory has been busy chronicling Scarlet’s War (known outside of Tyria as Living World Season 1). She’d like to share her research with you when you’re ready. Simply activate ‘Season 1 History Lesson,’ located under Scarlet’s War in your Story Journal, to learn more. (Note: You must use a level 80 character to access this recap.)”
