Leagues Coming to Guild Wars 2

ArenaNet announced during the Guild Wars 2: World Tournament Series at Gamescom that seasonal PvP leagues are coming to Heart of Thorns.  Today, John Corpening of AreaNet released the official blog post with the details.  From the post:

In Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns™, PvP will have regular league seasons. During a season, players begin in the starter division and earn their way up to the next by defeating other players within their division, earning rewards and gaining prestigious items along the way. PvP leagues will give players of all skill levels regular goals, better matchmaking, and unique rewards, and they’ll provide a better system for ranked play in Guild Wars 2.

There are six leagues to work through, and each of those has several tiers, giving every skill level the opportunity to fight in matches they have the means to win.  In the beginning, losing a match isn’t a problem, however, once you make it to the upper divisions things are hugely competitive and every match counts.  Even so, if you are just having one of those weeks, you will never fall a division in a season, keeping you in the level of matches you’ve earned.  There is also the Legendary Division which is the ultimate destination for those wanting to fight their way to the top and earn the best loot.

This update will also bring badges for your nameplate, a token system, and Guild Teams.  No specific information on when these features would be available but you can be sure the GamerDating team will be watching closely.