We’ve created our Guild Wars 2 Rules of Conduct (the “Rules of Conduct”) to make sure that Guild Wars 2 is a safe, fun game environment for all players. The Rules of Conduct contain restrictions on bad language and in-game behavior, and on inappropriate names that may be rude, crude, or socially unacceptable. They contain protections for you, so your privacy is maintained, and for us, as developer and publisher of Guild Wars 2 , so that the integrity of the game is preserved.

The Rules cover such basic expectations as:

• Don’t swear or spam or break any laws.
• Don’t use a name or guild acronym that would offend someone.
• Don’t harass other players.
• Don’t link to pornography or advertise in the game.
• Buy and sell items or services only through legitimate means authorized by Guild Wars 2 and us.
• Report hacks and exploits and do not use them yourself.

We reserve the right, in our sole and absolute discretion, to change, modify, add or remove portions of these Guild Wars 2 Conduct Breaches and Outcomes at any time. All determinations under or related to this document will be made by us in our sole and absolute discretion.

So what happens when someone breaks the Rules of Conduct?

In the interests of keeping things pleasant for the majority of players, we’ve set up a system to deal with lapses in behavior. We think you’ll find the system is fair, balanced, and reasonable.

The system involves two types of administrative action: temporary account suspensions and permanent account terminations. Those who fail to observe the Rules of Conduct usually will have an administrative “mark” placed on their Guild Wars 2 account that results in a temporary account suspension. However, in the case of an extreme breach-such as using a game exploit, attempting to hack the servers, or acquiring a large number of marks and moving into a “frequent violation” status-the account will be permanently closed.

When an account is temporarily suspended, the player is unable to access his account for a specific period of time. Under normal circumstances, a player can clear marks from his/her account and eliminate the risk of lengthy suspension simply by obeying the Rules of Conduct. On the other hand, if a player accrues another mark on his account within a relatively short period of time, the subsequent suspension will be longer. A record is retained
of each player’s complete account history, and accounts that are frequently involved in violations of the Rules of Conduct and/or the Guild Wars 2 User Agreement (the “User Agreement”) are subject to termination.

Disciplinary Process

Basic Details

• All infraction reports from players are investigated, either through staff member observations or a review of game logs. Those who report a
  possible rules infraction by another player may be given general information on the outcome of their report, but certain details may remain
  confidential.
• We will review the alleged offense and take action only after careful consideration and a review of all available facts.
• We do not issue warnings for misconduct. The first mark, with its temporary account suspension, is considered a form of warning and should be
  accepted as such by the player.
• Each mark results in a temporary account suspension. Suspended account holders will receive an in-game message that explains that the account has
  been rendered inaccessible and also provides a specific reason for the account mark and the duration of the temporary account suspension.
• An account termination is also detailed when a player attempts to log into his/her closed account.
• An account suspension or termination applies to the full account and not to an individual character within the account.
• Persistent offenses or severe abuse of the Rules of Conduct or the User Agreement will result in permanent account terminations.

Infraction Types

Naming Infractions

All names must comply with our Guild Wars 2 Naming Policy (the “Naming Policy”).

• If a character name reported to us or noted by a staff member is confirmed to be in violation of the Naming Policy, the account will receive a mark. The account will be temporarily suspended and the character with the offensive name will be flagged for renaming.
  For the first offense, you will be required to rename your character before accessing that character again.
  For the second offense, your account will be marked and we will assign you a new character name. We may also take further action at our discretion.
• If an unacceptable guild name or guild acronym (“tag”) is noted or reported, a mark will be placed on the guild creator’s account. The guild will be reset to “0” on the Guild Ladder and will be unable to issue challenges; the only option will be to dissolve the guild. There is no option for renaming a guild at this time.

In-game Infractions

The following will result in either a temporary account suspension or permanent account termination, depending upon the severity of the matter:

• Inappropriate in-game behavior, such as obscene, offensive, or racist talk or behavior; abuse of another player; harassment; etc.
• Selling or buying a Guild Wars 2 account, in-game item, service or gold for real-world currency in a manner not authorized by Guild Wars 2 and us; selling a Guild Wars 2 account for in-game currency; aiding others in such transactions, or advertising the intent to commit such acts
• Selling or buying Guild Wars 2 or account related services of any kind for real-world currency in a manner not authorized by Guild Wars 2 and us
• Repeating in-game chat to an excessive degree (“spamming”)
• In-game linking to inappropriate sites, including those offering bots, macros, or other inappropriate third-party programs, or those related to selling or buying accounts, items, services or in-game gold in a manner not authorized by Guild Wars 2 and us
• Taking advantage of another player (“scamming”) in order to take his/her items or account
• Accessing another player’s account in order to take or delete characters or items
• Abusing game exploits
• Advertising cheats, hacks, or exploits
• Using, developing, releasing, or promoting a “bot,” cheat, or exploit program
• Engaging in PvP match manipulation, disrupting a PvP match by not actively playing in good faith, or any other form of PvP griefing, exploitation, or abuse

Appeals

Depending on the type of infraction, we may or may not accept an appeal of the disciplinary action taken on an account.

In-Game Behavior Issues

We do not accept appeals for administrative action taken in connection with in-game behavior. It is particularly not in our best interest to engage in debate about suspensions with those who frequently are in breach of the Rules of Conduct.

• Players who err only occasionally will find that the system is designed to handle infractions in a fair and reasonable manner. The first account mark results in a relatively brief suspension, and only persistent bad behavior results in a lengthy suspension or an account termination.
• Players who accrue a number of account marks will note that each mark results in a lengthier account suspension. This escalating system serves as a warning to the player that his/her behavior may be putting the account at risk of termination.

Name Issues

• In instances where the player feels that a character or guild name has been improperly blocked, the player may submit an appeal. Keep in mind that only a small percentage of character or guild name blocks will be reversed; history shows that most reviews uphold the original decision to block a name.
• Staff members will not enter into a dialogue about such blocks or account marks, but will inform the player if the block has been upheld or removed after a review by senior staff.

Permanent Account Terminations

We exercise careful judgment in every case in which an account is terminated. We will review breaches of the Rules of Conduct and the User Agreement with close attention to the most flagrant and persistent patterns of rules abuse. In such instances, particularly when we perceive a risk of substantial real or potential harm to the Guild Wars 2 community or to the game’s stability, an account can and will be permanently terminated.

We’ve created our Guild Wars 2 Rules of Conduct (the “Rules of Conduct”) to make sure that Guild Wars 2 is a safe, fun game environment for all players. The Rules of Conduct contain restrictions on bad language and in-game behavior, and on inappropriate names that may be rude, crude, or socially unacceptable. They contain protections for you, so your privacy is maintained, and for us, as developer and publisher of Guild Wars 2 , so that the integrity of the game is preserved.

The Rules cover such basic expectations as:

• Don’t swear or spam or break any laws.
• Don’t use a name or guild acronym that would offend someone.
• Don’t harass other players.
• Don’t link to pornography or advertise in the game.
• Buy and sell items or services only through legitimate means authorized by Guild Wars 2 and us.
• Report hacks and exploits and do not use them yourself.

We reserve the right, in our sole and absolute discretion, to change, modify, add or remove portions of these Guild Wars 2 Conduct Breaches and Outcomes at any time. All determinations under or related to this document will be made by us in our sole and absolute discretion.

So what happens when someone breaks the Rules of Conduct?

In the interests of keeping things pleasant for the majority of players, we’ve set up a system to deal with lapses in behavior. We think you’ll find the system is fair, balanced, and reasonable.

The system involves two types of administrative action: temporary account suspensions and permanent account terminations. Those who fail to observe the Rules of Conduct usually will have an administrative “mark” placed on their Guild Wars 2 account that results in a temporary account suspension. However, in the case of an extreme breach-such as using a game exploit, attempting to hack the servers, or acquiring a large number of marks and moving into a “frequent violation” status-the account will be permanently closed.

When an account is temporarily suspended, the player is unable to access his account for a specific period of time. Under normal circumstances, a player can clear marks from his/her account and eliminate the risk of lengthy suspension simply by obeying the Rules of Conduct. On the other hand, if a player accrues another mark on his account within a relatively short period of time, the subsequent suspension will be longer. A record is retained
of each player’s complete account history, and accounts that are frequently involved in violations of the Rules of Conduct and/or the Guild Wars 2 User Agreement (the “User Agreement”) are subject to termination.

Disciplinary Process

Basic Details

• All infraction reports from players are investigated, either through staff member observations or a review of game logs. Those who report a
  possible rules infraction by another player may be given general information on the outcome of their report, but certain details may remain
  confidential.
• We will review the alleged offense and take action only after careful consideration and a review of all available facts.
• We do not issue warnings for misconduct. The first mark, with its temporary account suspension, is considered a form of warning and should be
  accepted as such by the player.
• Each mark results in a temporary account suspension. Suspended account holders will receive an in-game message that explains that the account has
  been rendered inaccessible and also provides a specific reason for the account mark and the duration of the temporary account suspension.
• An account termination is also detailed when a player attempts to log into his/her closed account.
• An account suspension or termination applies to the full account and not to an individual character within the account.
• Persistent offenses or severe abuse of the Rules of Conduct or the User Agreement will result in permanent account terminations.

Infraction Types

Naming Infractions

All names must comply with our Guild Wars 2 Naming Policy (the “Naming Policy”).

• If a character name reported to us or noted by a staff member is confirmed to be in violation of the Naming Policy, the account will receive a mark. The account will be temporarily suspended and the character with the offensive name will be flagged for renaming.
  For the first offense, you will be required to rename your character before accessing that character again.
  For the second offense, your account will be marked and we will assign you a new character name. We may also take further action at our discretion.
• If an unacceptable guild name or guild acronym (“tag”) is noted or reported, a mark will be placed on the guild creator’s account. The guild will be reset to “0” on the Guild Ladder and will be unable to issue challenges; the only option will be to dissolve the guild. There is no option for renaming a guild at this time.

In-game Infractions

The following will result in either a temporary account suspension or permanent account termination, depending upon the severity of the matter:

• Inappropriate in-game behavior, such as obscene, offensive, or racist talk or behavior; abuse of another player; harassment; etc.
• Selling or buying a Guild Wars 2 account, in-game item, service or gold for real-world currency in a manner not authorized by Guild Wars 2 and us; selling a Guild Wars 2 account for in-game currency; aiding others in such transactions, or advertising the intent to commit such acts
• Selling or buying Guild Wars 2 or account related services of any kind for real-world currency in a manner not authorized by Guild Wars 2 and us
• Repeating in-game chat to an excessive degree (“spamming”)
• In-game linking to inappropriate sites, including those offering bots, macros, or other inappropriate third-party programs, or those related to selling or buying accounts, items, services or in-game gold in a manner not authorized by Guild Wars 2 and us
• Taking advantage of another player (“scamming”) in order to take his/her items or account
• Accessing another player’s account in order to take or delete characters or items
• Abusing game exploits
• Advertising cheats, hacks, or exploits
• Using, developing, releasing, or promoting a “bot,” cheat, or exploit program
• Engaging in PvP match manipulation, disrupting a PvP match by not actively playing in good faith, or any other form of PvP griefing, exploitation, or abuse

Appeals

Depending on the type of infraction, we may or may not accept an appeal of the disciplinary action taken on an account.

In-Game Behavior Issues

We do not accept appeals for administrative action taken in connection with in-game behavior. It is particularly not in our best interest to engage in debate about suspensions with those who frequently are in breach of the Rules of Conduct.

• Players who err only occasionally will find that the system is designed to handle infractions in a fair and reasonable manner. The first account mark results in a relatively brief suspension, and only persistent bad behavior results in a lengthy suspension or an account termination.
• Players who accrue a number of account marks will note that each mark results in a lengthier account suspension. This escalating system serves as a warning to the player that his/her behavior may be putting the account at risk of termination.

Name Issues

• In instances where the player feels that a character or guild name has been improperly blocked, the player may submit an appeal. Keep in mind that only a small percentage of character or guild name blocks will be reversed; history shows that most reviews uphold the original decision to block a name.
• Staff members will not enter into a dialogue about such blocks or account marks, but will inform the player if the block has been upheld or removed after a review by senior staff.

Permanent Account Terminations

We exercise careful judgment in every case in which an account is terminated. We will review breaches of the Rules of Conduct and the User Agreement with close attention to the most flagrant and persistent patterns of rules abuse. In such instances, particularly when we perceive a risk of substantial real or potential harm to the Guild Wars 2 community or to the game’s stability, an account can and will be permanently terminated.