You know what time of the year it is, and if your current MMORPG home right now is Guild Wars 2, know that you don’t have to travel far for the game’s very own version of Christmas: Wintersday. Wintersday has returned to Divinity’s Reach, and from December 9 through January 2, you can dive into snowball fights, gift-giving, jumping puzzles, strike missions, and some of the most lucrative karma farming of the year. Our guide will walk you through everything worth doing in Wintersday 2025.
How to Join the Wintersday 2025 Festival
When logging in, you’ll receive an in-game letter from Toymaker Tixx, which includes an instant teleport to Divinity’s Reach, specifically The Crown Pavilion area. You can also use Wintersday portals in major cities as an alternative. Once you arrive, look for peppermint candy icons on your map; these mark the locations of all activities.
Top Activities & How They Work
You can join most of these anytime and without a daily limit, though some events, such as the Strike mission or the jumping puzzle, might have daily, time-gated rewards :
Bell Choir Ensemble
A collaborative rhythm mini-game inside an enchanted snow globe. Hit the right notes to earn karma and Wintersday Gifts. Completing 500 correct notes earns achievement progress.
Snowball Mayhem
A capture-the-flag snowball brawl with three roles: heavy, scout, and support. Even losing gives credit toward certain achievements.
Mount Racing
Race through Divinity’s Reach, and do note that mounts are optional, if you’re a masochist. If not, you can rent a raptor for 10 silver or use your own mounts.
Toypocalypse
A tower-defense mode where you defend gift dolyaks against malfunctioning toys. Excellent for “kill toy” and progression achievements.
Tixx’s Infinirarium
A dynamic dungeon where you help fix Tixx’s workshop and fight Toxx. After finishing, destroy every object for the Wintersday Wrecking Ball achievement.
Strike Mission: Secret Lair of the Snowmen
Fight Freezie and heal his heart with thrown snowballs. Coordinated parties can complete the encounter in under three heart phases for extra achievement points.
Winter Wonderland Jumping Puzzle
Choose one of three paths in this fast-paced, exploding-present-filled challenge. Complete it 15 times for the Winter Wonderland Mastery achievement.
Rewards You Shouldn’t Miss
These are some of the most sought-after rewards based on community and general consensus (and player preference, of course).
- Plush Jorms Backpack and Mini Plush Tiger
- Winter Snow Goggles (festival meta reward)
- Sugardrift Weapon Choice (from weekly/meta achievements)
- Rimed Verdant Wintersday Gifts (long-term weapon collection)
- Wrapped & Sparkling Wrapped Weapon Skins
- New Wintersday Guild Hall decorations
In addition to all the activities, be sure to:
- Visit Toymaker Tixx each day for gifts
- Check on Wintersday trees
- Pick up the letter from Orphan Laine to begin the scavenger hunt (this can be completed even after the festival ends)
Also, if you’re adventuring through Central Tyria, keep an eye out for giant mysterious presents; some hold loot, some hold skritt. If you want something more intangible as a reward, Wintersday 2025 also grants plenty of achievement points:
Wintersday 2025 Achievement Tips
- Open 40 Wintersday Gifts for “Wrapping Everywhere”
- Donate 3 gold and 3 silver to Ho-Ho-Tron for festival generosity achievements
- Defend the dolyak during Ho-Ho-Tron’s escort event to earn “Donation Defender” and collect dropped presents
- Finish 30 rounds of Toypocalypse, 100 songs in Bell Choir, or 15 JP completions for big AP payouts
- Annual achievements reset every year—do seven of them to earn this year’s meta reward: Sugardrift Chest + Winter Snow Goggles Box
And more importantly, don’t sweat it (not like you can in these temperatures anyway). Wintersday 2025 is here to stay until January 2, so there’s plenty of time to reap the rewards and have fun along the way.
