Upcoming changes and features/2026-07-14 Balance Preview

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Update - June 22, 2026

Hi, everyone, Welcome to the preview for the July 14 balance update! As always, the goal of previewing these changes is to gather your feedback before the live release. We'll be following the conversation and making further adjustments as needed. Thanks, The Skills and Balance Team

Elementalist

Our previous balance update left a few elementalist weapons dealing slightly less damage than we wanted in PvE, so this update brings additional adjustments to sword, hammer, and spear to bring them more in line with other options. We've also taken a look at a number of weaver's less impactful Dual Attack skills and traits, including many that haven't been updated since their initial introduction to the game in Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire. We found that a lot of these skills needed either usability improvements or additional functionality, and our goal for these changes is to introduce new options for weaver players.

  • Fire Strike.png Fire Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 0.8 to 1.0 in PvE only.
  • Fire Swipe.png Fire Swipe: Increased the power coefficient from 0.9 to 1.1 in PvE only.
  • Searing Slash (weaver).png Searing Slash: Increased the power coefficient from 1.6 to 1.8 in PvE only.
  • Flame Uprising.png Flame Uprising: Increased the power coefficient of the initial strike from 1.5 to 2.0 in PvE only.
  • Cauterizing Strike.png Cauterizing Strike: Increased the power coefficient against burning foes from 2.33 to 2.91 in PvE only.
  • Earthen Spear.png Earthen Spear: Increased the power coefficient from 2.6 to 3.0 in PvE only.
  • Fissure.png Fissure: Increased the power coefficient from 2.1 to 2.7 in PvE only.
  • Galvanize.png Galvanize: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.6 in PvE only.
  • Triple Sear.png Triple Sear: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.871 to 1.0 in PvE only.
  • Molten End.png Molten End: Increased the power coefficient from 2.3 to 2.8 in PvE only.
  • Whirling Stones.png Whirling Stones: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.748 to 0.84 in PvE only.
  • Ground Pound.png Ground Pound: Increased the power coefficient from 2.3 to 2.8 in PvE only.
  • Grand Finale.png Grand Finale: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 1.15 to 1.4 in PvE only.
  • Dragon's Claw.png Dragon's Claw: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.375 to 0.45 in PvE only.
  • Drake's Breath.png Drake's Breath: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.8 to 1.05 in PvE only.
  • Burning Speed.png Burning Speed: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 3.0 in PvE only.
  • Lightning Whip.png Lightning Whip: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.63 to 0.75 in PvE only.
  • Convergence.png Convergence: Increased the power coefficient from 1.8 to 2.4 in PvE only.
  • Ring of Earth.png Ring of Earth: Increased the secondary strike power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.9 in PvE only.
  • Earthen Rush.png Earthen Rush: Increased the power coefficient from 1.8 to 2.3 in PvE only.
  • Inferno.png Inferno: Increased the power scaling from 7.5% to 8.25% in PvE only.

Weaver

  • Aquatic Stance.png Aquatic Stance: Reduced the ammunition from 2 to 1. Increased the base healing from 4,000 to 6,480. Increased the endurance gain from 25 to 50. Instead of healing nearby allies, this stance will now refund some endurance when you dodge.
  • Twist of Fate.png Twist of Fate: Reduced the ammunition from 2 to 1. This skill now also removes movement-impairing conditions and prevents their application for its duration.
  • Stone Resonance.png Stone Resonance: Reduced the ammunition from 2 to 1. This skill now grants protection and increases the effectiveness of protection for the duration. Increased the barrier pulse from 535 to 789 in PvP only.
  • Unravel.png Unravel: This skill is no longer available as a utility skill and has been replaced with Fervent Stance. Reduced the ammunition from 2 to 1.
  • Skill.png Fervent Stance: Gain quickness, fury, and swiftness. Gain might when you use a Dual Attack skill.
  • Pressure Blast.png Pressure Blast: This skill no longer heals allies when it passes through them and instead heals allies when it lands. It now also heals you when you strike an enemy. Increased the power coefficient from 1 to 2 in PvE and from 1 to 1.33 in PvP and WvW. Increased the base healing from 645 to 1,285. Increased the heal scaling from 0.25 to 0.5. Reduced the casting time from 1.1 seconds to 0.8 seconds.
  • Plasma Blast.png Plasma Blast: Increased the projectile speed.
  • Lahar.png Lahar: The first pulse of this skill will now immobilize enemies that it strikes.
  • Monsoon (weaver skill).png Monsoon: This skill no longer grants regeneration to allies. This skill now knocks back enemies that it strikes and inflicts vulnerability in addition to chill.
  • Fiery Frost.png Fiery Frost: Increased the evade distance from 250 to 510. This skill now removes inhibiting conditions.
  • Glacial Drift.png Glacial Drift: Increased the projectile speed. This skill now dazes enemies that it strikes.
  • Earthen Synergy.png Earthen Synergy: Increased the stun duration from 1.5 seconds to 2 seconds.
  • Stone Tide.png Stone Tide: The first pulse of this skill will now cripple enemies that it strikes.
  • Steam Surge.png Steam Surge: Increased the water field duration from 2 seconds to 4 seconds. Increased the power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.75 in PvE and from 1.0 to 1.25 in PvP and WvW.
  • Katabatic Wind.png Katabatic Wind: This skill will now perform a delayed second strike. The first strike will deal less damage and inflict a short daze while the second strike deals more damage and inflicts a longer daze.
  • Grinding Stones.png Grinding Stones: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds.
  • Ashen Blast.png Ashen Blast: This skill now strikes enemies an additional time. The first strike will deal less damage and inflict blind, while the second strike deals more damage and inflicts burning.
  • Elemental Pursuit.png Elemental Pursuit: This trait has been reworked. Gain swiftness when you disable an enemy. Swiftness that affects you is improved.
  • Elemental Refreshment.png Elemental Refreshment: This trait now also grants vitality.
  • Elemental Polyphony.png Elemental Polyphony: This trait will now grant condition damage instead of vitality when attuned to earth.
  • Superior Elements.png Superior Elements: Increased the critical strike chance from 15% to 20% in PvE only.
  • Weaver's Prowess.png Weaver's Prowess: This trait has been reworked and moved to the bottom adept trait slot. Gain resistance when you attune to a single element.
  • Master's Fortitude.png Master's Fortitude: This trait has been reworked and moved to the top master trait slot. Gain barrier when you dodge.
  • Swift Revenge.png Swift Revenge: This trait has been reworked. Dual Attacks grant bonuses based on their elements.
    • Fire: Gain might.
    • Water: Remove one condition.
    • Air: Gain swiftness.
    • Earth: Gain endurance.
  • Elements of Rage.png Elements of Rage: This trait no longer grants bonus precision. This trait now grants access to Unravel as an additional profession skill. Increased the strike damage bonus from 7% to 15% in PvE only. Increased the condition damage bonus from 5% to 10% in PvE only.
  • Woven Stride.png Woven Stride: This trait no longer has an internal cooldown and will only trigger when you grant swiftness or superspeed to yourself. This trait no longer improves the effects of swiftness, and it no longer grants swiftness when you are inflicted with an inhibiting condition.
  • Invigorating Strikes.png Invigorating Strikes: This trait has been reworked and renamed to Flow State.
  • Skill.png Flow State: Reduce the recharge time of your attunements and your Dual Attack skills.

Engineer

Engineer's changes are focused on improving some of its lesser used skills and traits. We've added more sources of regeneration to the inventions specialization to help enable Energy Amplifier. Turrets are also getting a small update that will allow players to reactivate the turret's overcharge skills after enough time has elapsed without needing to detonate and redeploy them.

  • Skill.png All Engineer Turret Skills: You can now overcharge turrets manually after the overcharge cooldown has elapsed. Turrets will still overcharge automatically when they are initially placed.
  • Healing Mist.png Healing Mist: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.
  • Energizing Slam.png Energizing Slam: Increased the power coefficient from 1.25 to 1.5 in PvP and WvW.
  • Rocket Fist Prototype.png Rocket Fist Prototype: Increased the stun duration from 1 second to 1.5 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Pry Bar.png Pry Bar: Reduced the cooldown from 15 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Throw Wrench.png Throw Wrench: Reduced the cooldown from 17 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Cleansing Synergy.png Cleansing Synergy: This trait will now also grant regeneration to affected allies.
  • Heal Resonator.png Reconstruction Enclosure: Increased the protection duration from 2.5 seconds to 3 seconds.
  • Autodefense Bomb Dispenser.png Autodefense Bomb Dispenser: This trait has been reworked and renamed to Sapping Device.
  • Skill.png Sapping Device: Weaken enemies when you immobilize or disable them.
  • Mecha Legs.png Mecha Legs: This trait will now also grant increased movement speed.
  • Bunker Down.png Bunker Down: The bandages created by this trait will now also grant regeneration. The mines created by this trait will now also inflict vulnerability.

Guardian

We've been periodically updating guardian's symbol skills to have additional effects on their initial pulse, and this update contains three more of those changes. Symbol of Swiftness will grant a short burst of superspeed to allies in the area, Symbol of Vengeance will daze enemies, and Symbol of Energy will deal additional damage on impact. We've also tuned up a few dragonhunter skills in PvP to give them some additional defensive options. Rounding out the guardian changes is a boost to Power for Power to bring power willbender builds more in line with other damage dealing builds.

  • Symbol of Swiftness.png Symbol of Swiftness: This skill now grants superspeed on its first pulse. Increased the cooldown from 15 seconds to 18 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Symbol of Vengeance.png Symbol of Vengeance: This skill now inflicts daze on its initial strike. Increased the cooldown from 8 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Symbol of Energy.png Symbol of Energy: Increased the power coefficient of the initial strike from 0.69 to 1.38 in PvE and from 0.43 to 0.86 in PvP and WvW. Reduced the power coefficient of the symbol from 0.69 to 0.5175 in PvE only.
  • Hunter's Ward.png Hunter's Ward: Reduced the ring duration from 5 seconds to 3 seconds in PvP only. Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.

Dragonhunter

  • Wings of Resolve.png Wings of Resolve: Increased the base healing from 2,968 to 3,890 in PvP only.
  • Purification.png Purification: Increased the trap base healing from 4,380 to 4,854 in PvP and WvW.
  • Test of Faith.png Test of Faith: Reduced the passthrough power coefficient from 1.88 to 0.833 in PvP only. Increased the damage bonus against controlled enemies from 33% to 200% in PvP only.
  • Procession of Blades.png Procession of Blades: Reduced the power coefficient from 0.36 to 0.25 in PvP only.
  • Dragon's Maw.png Dragon's Maw: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 45 seconds in PvP only.
  • Hunter's Determination.png Hunter's Determination: This trait now also causes elite skills to grant you endurance.
  • Hunter's Fortification.png Hunter's Fortification: This trait will now also trigger when you evade an attack.

Firebrand

  • Unrelenting Criticism.png Unrelenting Criticism: This trait no longer causes Symbol of Vengeance to daze on its initial strike. Increased the bleeding duration from 1 second to 3 seconds in PvP and WvW.

Willbender

  • Power for Power.png Power for Power: Increased the Willbender Flames damage bonus from 100% to 200% in PvE only.

Mesmer

We're focusing on chaos specialization changes and improvements in weapon useability for this update. Staff is getting its cooldown reductions rolled into the weapon baseline, and pistol and torch are seeing cooldown reductions as well. Phantasmal Duelist will now always inflict bleeding to reduce the reliance on Duelist's Discipline for it to be an effective skill. Shaper of Chaos is a new grandmaster trait in the chaos line that will synergize well with staff and serve as a capstone damage trait for the specialization. Prismatic Understanding will now have a more consistent strength while also granting more stealth.

  • Phase Retreat.png Phase Retreat: Reduced the cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.
  • Phantasmal Warlock.png Phantasmal Warlock: Reduced the cooldown from 15 seconds to 12 seconds in PvE and from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Chaos Armor.png Chaos Armor: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 16 seconds.
  • Chaos Storm.png Chaos Storm: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE and from 28 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Phantasmal Duelist.png Phantasmal Duelist: Bullets from the phantasm now apply bleeding. Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 16 seconds in PvE and from 18 seconds to 16 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Magic Bullet.png Magic Bullet: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
  • Duelist's Discipline.png Duelist's Discipline: This trait no longer causes pistol skills to apply bleeding.
  • The Prestige.png The Prestige: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Phantasmal Mage.png Phantasmal Mage: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Bladecall.png Bladecall: This skill now attempts to face the target when used.
  • Signet of Domination.png Signet of Domination: Reduced the cooldown from 45 seconds to 25 seconds. Reduced the stun duration from 3 seconds to 2 seconds in PvE. This skill now removes boons from the target.
  • Veil.png Veil: Reduced the cooldown from 72 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.
  • Confounding Suggestions.png Vicious Expression: This trait now increases base strike damage and is further increased against boonless foes.
  • Method of Madness.png Method of Madness: Lesser Chaos Storm no longer inflicts daze. Reduced the cooldown of Lesser Chaos Storm from 75 seconds to 35 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Chaotic Interruption.png Chaotic Interruption: This trait has moved to the master tier, replacing Chaotic Potency.
  • Skill.png Shaper of Chaos: This is a new grandmaster tier trait. When you would grant yourself chaos aura while you already have chaos aura, instead cause your chaos aura to detonate. Detonating chaos aura grants you boons and inflicts conditions on nearby enemies.
  • Prismatic Understanding.png Prismatic Understanding: This trait now causes your fourth Shatter skill to grant stealth. This trait no longer grants random boons while in stealth and instead grants regeneration upon entering stealth and protection and resolution upon leaving stealth.

Virtuoso

  • Psychic Force.png Psychic Force: This skill no longer knocks back enemies or breaks stun and will instead cause your next Bladesong skill to be unblockable. Increased the ammo count from 1 to 2. Increased the power coefficient from 0.7 to 1.5 in PvE and from 0.01 to 1.5 in PvP and WvW.
  • Psychic Riposte.png Psychic Riposte: This trait no longer causes your next Bladesong skill to become unblockable.

Necromancer

Harbinger's grandmaster traits are being reworked to introduce new playstyles. Cascading Corruption allows you to unleash bursts of power when consuming blight, Deathly Haste becomes a more controllable effect, and Doom Approaches will be the end for either you or your opponent. Iconic necromancer skills such as Epidemic and Corrupt Boon are becoming more powerful, and scourge's shades will stick around longer.

  • Life Siphon.png Life Siphon: This skill now inflicts bleeding on yourself on the initial cast. This skill no longer has increased healing effectiveness while you are bleeding. Increased the base healing coefficient from 0.0684 to 0.1 in PvE only. Increased the base healing coefficient from 0.03 to 0.05 in PvP and WvW.
  • Ghastly Claws.png Ghastly Claws: Reduced the cooldown from 8 seconds to 6 seconds.
  • Unholy Feast.png Unholy Feast: Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.
  • Soul Grasp.png Soul Grasp: Reduced the ammo recharge from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE and from 15 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Spinal Shivers.png Spinal Shivers: Reduced the cooldown from 16 seconds to 12 seconds in PvE and from 20 seconds to 16 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Oppressive Collapse.png Oppressive Collapse: This skill now attempts to face the target when used.
  • Taste of Death.png Taste of Death: Reduced the blood fiend health sacrifice from 100% to 50%.
  • Epidemic.png Epidemic: Increased the maximum stacks transferred from 5 to 8.
  • Corrupt Boon.png Corrupt Boon: Increased the number of boons converted to conditions from 5 to 8 in PvP only.
  • Spiteful Talisman.png Spiteful Talisman: This trait no longer reduces the cooldowns of axe and focus skills. This trait now increases base strike damage and is further increased against boonless foes.
  • Dark Defiance.png Dark Defiance: This trait has been reworked and renamed Dark Defense.
  • Skill.png Dark Defense: Gain protection and carapace when you use a healing skill. Protection reduces incoming condition damage.
  • Corrupter's Fervor.png Corrupter's Fervor: This trait no longer grants protection and instead grants damage reduction while above the carapace threshold.

Reaper

  • Soul Eater.png Soul Eater: Increased the damage increase from 12% to 15% in PvE only.

Scourge

  • Manifest Sand Shade.png Manifest Sand Shade: Increased the cooldown from 8 seconds to 15 seconds and increased the shade duration from 8 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only.

Harbinger

  • Elixir of Risk.png Elixir of Risk: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds and increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 2.0 in PvE only. This skill now inflicts torment.
  • Cascading Corruption.png Cascading Corruption: This trait has been reworked. Gain stacks of Cascading Corruption when you consume blight. When you reach the stack threshold, explode necrotic energy and increase your damage for a duration.
  • Deathly Haste.png Deathly Haste: This trait has been reworked. Grant boons to nearby allies when you enter Harbinger Shroud and when you use Dark Barrage.
  • Doom Approaches.png Doom Approaches: Blight reduces more of your health and accumulates faster while in shroud. Your shroud skills are improved.

Ranger

Druid is the focus of ranger's changes this update. Glyph of Unity is being reworked to be a tool that complements Celestial Avatar, and Rejuvenating Tides will no longer be channeled. There are a slew of trait changes: Verdant Etchings effect will depend on form, Grace of the Land moves to the master tier, and Cultivated Synergy is becoming a new grandmaster trait that rewards the use of water fields.

  • Astral Wisp.png Astral Wisp: This skill has been reworked. Send out a wisp to a targeted location. Upon arrival, the wisp will attach to allies, healing them over time.
  • Go for the Throat.png Go for the Throat: Increased the damage bonus of Lesser "Sic 'Em!" while a soulbeast is merged from 10% to 15% in PvE only.

Druid

  • Glyph of Rejuvenation.png Glyph of Rejuvenation: Increased the radius from 300 to 360.
  • Glyph of Alignment.png Glyph of Alignment: Increased the radius while in celestial avatar form from 300 to 360.
  • Glyph of Equality.png Glyph of Equality: This skill now applies stability in PvP. Increased the stability stacks from 1 to 2.
  • Glyph of the Tides.png Glyph of the Tides: This skill now knocks enemies down instead of knocking enemies back in PvP only. Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PVP only.
  • Glyph of Unity.png Glyph of Unity: This skill has been reworked and renamed Glyph of Burgeoning.
  • Skill.png Glyph of Burgeoning: Heal nearby allies and gain astral force. While in celestial avatar form, grant allies barrier and endurance instead.
  • Celestial Avatar.png Celestial Avatar: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP only.
  • Rejuvenating Tides.png Rejuvenating Tides: This skill is no longer channeled. Increased the radius from 240 to 300.
  • Druidic Clarity.png Druidic Clarity: Increased the radius from 300 to 360.
  • Cultivated Synergy.png Cultivated Synergy: This trait has moved to the grandmaster tier. When you use a healing skill, heal around your pet and create a water field attached to them. When you blast a water field, grow a seed of life at the location.
  • Blood Moon.png Blood Moon: This trait no longer dazes when entering celestial avatar form.
  • Celestial Shadow.png Celestial Shadow: Increased the radius from 300 to 360.
  • Verdant Etching.png Verdant Etching: This trait has been moved to the adept tier. This trait now causes glyphs to heal nearby allies. When in celestial avatar form, grant protection to nearby allies instead.
  • Natural Balance.png Natural Balance: This trait no longer grants concentration.
  • Grace of the Land.png Grace of the Land: This trait has been moved to the master tier.
  • Lingering Light.png Lingering Light: Reduced the maximum stacks from 10 to 5.

Soulbeast

Galeshot

  • Shrike.png Shrike: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.5 to 0.8 in PvE only.

Revenant

Revenant's changes for this update are primarily focused on reworking some of renegade's traits. All for One is intended to be a trait that synergizes best with the Legendary Renegade Stance, but its current implementation isn't something that we're happy with. We've moved the strike damage bonus into Heartpiercer to make room for a new trait that plays into the stance's Band Together mechanic, refunding some energy and reducing the recharge time for those enhanced skills. Bold Reversal and Righteous Rebel have also been updated to give supportive renegade builds additional tools.

  • Coalescence of Ruin.png Coalescence of Ruin: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.3 in PvE only.
  • Drop the Hammer.png Drop the Hammer: Increased the power coefficient from 2.7 to 3.2 in PvE only.
  • Rite of the Great Dwarf.png Rite of the Great Dwarf: This skill will now also grant condition damage reduction. Reduced the damage reduction from 50% to 33%.
  • Versed in Stone.png Versed in Stone: This trait now increases the damage reduction of Rite of the Great Dwarf from 33% to 50% instead of causing it to reduce condition damage.

Renegade

  • Ashen Demeanor.png Ashen Demeanor: This trait has been reworked. Gain might, resistance, and Kalla's Fervor when you use a healing skill.
  • Sudden Reversal.png Bold Reversal: This trait has been reworked. Citadel Order skills are improved.
  • Heartpiercer.png Heartpiercer: This trait now also grants increased strike damage against bleeding enemies.
  • All for One.png All for One: This trait has been reworked. When you trigger Band Together, gain energy and reduce the recharge time of the enhanced skill.
  • Vindication.png Vindication: This trait no longer increases the number of missiles fired by Citadel Bombardment and instead causes it to daze enemies the first time it strikes them.
  • Righteous Rebel.png Righteous Rebel: This trait now also causes Orders from Above to heal allies.

Thief

Silent Scope is an incredibly powerful trait, granting stealth on an easily repeatable trigger, and we've needed to introduce a number of special exceptions to stealth-related traits to keep them at an appropriate power level alongside Silent Scope. We think the amount of stealth generated by this trait is still too high, and for this update we've decided to rework it entirely. We still want deadeye to have an adequate amount of stealth access, and we've added some additional options to utility skills, namely Signet of Shadows and Smoke Screen. Deadeye's Mark is a skill that has always been difficult to utilize for melee-focused deadeyes with the loss of the gap-closing ability of the core thief's Steal. In order to better enable these playstyles for deadeye, their mark's behavior will now change based on their currently equipped weapon. Ranged weapons will keep the current behavior, but having a melee weapon equipped will now allow the deadeye to shadowstep to their target while applying the mark.

  • Pistol Whip.png Pistol Whip: This skill has been reworked and renamed to Flawless Execution.
  • Skill.png Flawless Execution: Shoot with your pistol as you spin and strike nearby enemies. Finish with a powerful forward slash.
  • Death's Advance.png Death's Advance: Using Sniper's Cover now automatically swaps to this skill, regardless of whether you're standing within Sniper's Cover. While standing within Sniper's Cover, this move becomes ground targeted instead.
  • Smoke Screen.png Smoke Screen: This skill no longer pulses blindness to enemies within its range. Instead, inflict debilitating conditions on enemies passing through the smoke screen. Additionally, you gain stealth on exiting the smoke screen.
  • Signet of Shadows.png Signet of Shadows: The active portion of this skill has been reworked. Using this skill now grants you stealth and swiftness while removing all movement-inhibiting conditions from yourself. Increased the cooldown of this skill from 16 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Shadow Refuge.png Shadow Refuge: This skill now additionally grants condition damage and strike damage reduction to allies inside the field.
  • Even the Odds.png Even the Odds: This trait no longer applies might. Instead, apply cripple and blindness to enemies you strike with your stealth attack.
  • Improvisation.png Improvisation: Specters now gain additional shadow force from Siphon while equipping this trait.
  • Lotus Poison.png Lotus Poison: This trait additionally grants might when you poison an enemy.
  • Panic Strike.png Panic Strike: This trait no longer immobilizes foes struck under the health threshold. This trait now immobilizes foes struck if they have more than a set number of conditions.
  • Rending Shade.png Rending Shade: This trait no longer inflicts fear on nearby foes when you strike a boonless foe. It instead destroys the foe's barrier if your stealth attack hits a boonless foe.

Deadeye

  • Deadeye's Mark.png Deadeye's Mark: This skill is now instant. You will now shadowstep to your foe if you're wielding a dagger, sword, staff, or spear while using this skill.
  • Silent Scope.png Silent Scope: This trait has been reworked. This trait now grants precision as long as the trait is equipped. You gain additional precision for a short time when you enter stealth.

Warrior

Bladesworn is the main focus of this warrior update, with the goal of creating some additional playstyles for the specialization. Swift as the Wind and River’s Flow have been reworked to augment the gunsaber's skills (including Dragon Slash) to focus on condition damage and supportive elements, respectively. Neither main-hand sword nor off-hand dagger see a lot of play, and we've made some bigger changes to solidify their identities to hopefully make them more appealing options. Sword will be more focused on condition damage with some personal survivability tools, and dagger gets an additional crowd-control tool to synergize with Wastrel's Ruin.

  • Savage Leap.png Savage Leap: This skill now inflicts bleeding.
  • Final Thrust.png Final Thrust: This skill has been reworked and renamed Rend.
  • Skill.png Rend: Maim your target with an immobilizing strike, then deliver a devastating blow that inflicts heavy bleeding.
  • Flurry.png Flurry: This skill has been reworked and renamed Bloodthirster.
  • Skill.png Bloodthirster: Sweep your blade around yourself, slicing nearby enemies. The effect increases with adrenaline level. Heal if you strike a target, healing more if they are bleeding.
  • Wastrel's Ruin.png Wastrel's Ruin: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 in PvP and WvW.
  • Bladestorm.png Bladestorm: This skill has been reworked and renamed Hushblade.
  • Skill.png Hushblade: Swipe out in a cone before you, dazing enemies struck.
  • Earthshaker.png Earthshaker: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.75 in PvE only.
  • Staggering Blow.png Staggering Blow: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.5 in PvE only.
  • Backbreaker.png Backbreaker: Increased the power coefficient from 1.5 to 2.25 in PvE only.

Bladesworn

  • Dragon Trigger.png Dragon Trigger: You can now move while channeling this skill. Your maximum movement speed is reduced while channeling.
  • Dragon Slash—Force.png Dragon Slash—Force: You can now move during the casting of this skill.
  • Dragon Slash—Boost.png Dragon Slash—Boost: This skill is now ground targeted.
  • Dragon Slash—Reach.png Dragon Slash—Reach: You can now move during the casting of this skill.
  • Dragonspike Mine.png Dragonspike Mine: Reduced the power coefficient from 2.5 to 1.5 in PvE only. Reduced the power coefficient from 1.0 to 0.6 in PvP and WvW. This skill now additionally inflicts bleeding on struck foes.
  • Swift as the Wind.png Swift as the Wind: This trait has been replaced with Sharp as the Wind.
  • Skill.png Sharp as the Wind: Modifies your gunsaber and Dragon Slash skills to focus on dealing condition damage. Additionally, with this trait equipped, you burn nearby foes and gain increased flow rate when swapping to the gunsaber in combat.
  • River's Flow.png River's Flow: This trait has been reworked. The trait now modifies gunsaber and Dragon Slash skills to focus on supporting allies and debilitating enemies. Additionally, with this trait equipped, you grant swiftness to nearby allies and gain increased flow rate when swapping to the gunsaber in combat.
  • Unseen Sword.png Unseen Sword: This trait now strikes nearby enemies and grants you increased flow rate when swapping to the gunsaber in combat.
  • Unshakable Mountain.png Unshakable Mountain: This trait now grants barrier to nearby allies every time you convert a certain amount of flow into charges.
  • Fierce as Fire.png Fierce as Fire: This trait now increases both strike and condition damage for each round of ammunition spent.
  • Immortal Dragon.png Immortal Dragon: This trait now grants protection to nearby allies as well as yourself.
  • Daring Dragon.png Daring Dragon: This trait now increases the effectiveness of Dragon Slash skills depending on which variation is being used.