Guild Wars 2 Will Require Password Changes for Better Security

Are you currently adventuring around the land of Tyria? Haven't changed your password in a while? Do you see the big red banner on the launcher? If you answered "Yes!" to at least one of these, read on to find out what ArenaNet is doing to make sure your Guild Wars 2 account is secure!

A post on the official website discusses the need for a mandatory password change. Up until now, ArenaNet has been encouraging players to change their passwords via a big red banner on the game's launcher. Soon, they will require a password change.

This is part of an effort to add more security to the game and goes with the password blacklisting that was introduced on September 12th, 2012. If a player has been using a password before the blacklisting went into effect, they are required to change it starting February 7th, 2013.

According to the post, you won't be able to choose a previous password or any password that has been "tested against any existing or non-existent account." For added security, ArenaNet urges you to pick a password exclusive to Guild Wars 2 and isn't used for any other game or website.

For those of us who have difficulty thinking of new passwords, ArenaNet offered this xkcd comic strip as a guide. Why? Because "correct horse battery staple" is one hell of a password.