Shadow of the Mad King is back in Guild Wars 2 for the Halloween season of this hell year, and if you’re really fast, you’ll beat me to the candy corn. Nope, too slow, I already ate it all. But don’t worry because there’s plenty more to do: Players will be playing Mad King Says, failing the Mad King’s Clock Tower, getting lost in the Mad King’s Labyrinth, coming in last in the Mad King’s Raceway, and dying to the Mad King himself in Ascent to Madness.
Veteran players will want to check out the patch notes (and the requisite complainy thread on Reddit); it looks as if there are a few changes of note this year, including a new cape reward for the meta achievements, scaling damage for some enemies, a new weapon set, new guild decor, account-bound (rather than soublound) trick-or-treat baggies, Thief nerfs, and bug fixes.
“Once again, the gates of the Mad Realm have opened and Kryta’s most infamous monarch, Mad King Thorn, has returned to hold court in Lion’s Arch! Loyal vassals of the king are strongly encouraged to enjoy the festivities: meet the denizens of the Mad Realm in events across Kryta; tour the Mad Realm itself in the Mad King’s Labyrinth and fearsome Mad King’s Clock Tower; compete with your fellow mortals in Lunatic Inquisition, Reaper’s Rumble, and the Mad King’s Raceway; attend to the king’s whims in his notorious pastime of Mad King Says; or match wits and blades against royalty in Ascent to Madness.”
If you’re taking part in the roller beetle races of the Mad King’s Raceway, make sure you check out today’s Flameseeker Chronicles, in which MOP’s Colin offers a complete and modern guide to actually winning. Plus we’ll be streaming the festivities tonight on OPTV starting at 8 p.m. EDT!
