Written by: (@winterinformal) | August 21, 2012 3:40 pm

139 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Over/Under, where you, the GAMEBREAKER fans, get to show off your prognostic powers and see if you can outguess the staff or even the people who make games themselves!

The rules are simple: we’ll offer you a quantifiable number, or perhaps a date, and ask you to predict whether the answer will be over or under our stated value.

Then, when we know the answer — typically within a few weeks or months — we’ll make a post to let you know how you did!

Today’s question is:

When will the servers for Guild Wars 2 come online?

Here’s what we know: Guild Wars 2‘s Headstart Access will begin at midnight Pacific time on Saturday, Aug. 25 — maybe.

ArenaNet has said that, to lessen the stress on their system at that fateful hour, the servers might come online up to three hours earlier, which means that, starting at 9:00 on Friday the 24th, excited gamers everywhere will be endlessly re-entering their login information in eager anticipation of being the first to snag an oh-so-clever name like “Romaine” for their Sylvari.

We’ll put it to you, then: When do you think servers will come online?

Our Over/Under target is 10:30 p.m. Pacific.

  • If you think GW2 will come online after 10:30, post OVER in a comment below.
  • If you think GW2 will come online on or before 10:30, post UNDER in a comment below.

If the time is right around 10:30 and there’s no clear indicator of exactly when it was, we’ll go with the earliest timestamp on the official announcement from ArenaNet on its website, Facebook, or Twitter.

Headstart Access is barely a week away, so make your decision quickly!

And don’t you dare steal “Romaine” from me.

When Will Guild Wars 2 Come Online?

  • MilamberNova

    I think under, more exactly im going with 9:36

  • http://twitter.com/tamgros Matthew Sorg

    Under, I’ll say 9:12pm PST

  • http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr

    Under, even before the three hour window. 8:45pm PST

  • Randall_Wolfcry

    UNDER! 9:57!

  • BigH001

    Under, 10:05 PST

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/Z36GPOU3Q2QIQYBIDVNQAVGNGE Raul

    Under, I will begin stabbing buttons hours before the appointed hour.
    7:45 pst will be my wishful guestimate.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jason.jenkins.73 Jason Jenkins

    over, at 11:59 they will flip the switch to the servers and the building housing the servers will burst into flames forcing the game to be delayed another month at which point the whole of the gaming community will riot outside arenanets home office and destroy the entire complex which will in turn lead to the modern day collapse of entire gaming market which will cause a domino effect in the world economy and civilization as we know it will end and we will all be forced to dress and drive around in armored cars like in the old mad max movie trilogy, and we will all look back on that moment in time as the cause of it all and wonder why some upstart game company dared to try and stand against the awsomeness that is pandas.

  • Zumime

    Lol, the GuildHead page in the background. Sneaky Gary…very sneaky.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1018077056 Rolando Rangel

    Under! It will be accessible at 9:13 but it will be announced at 9:07!

  • http://www.facebook.com/rasmus.nielsen.75491 Rasmus Nielsen

    Under

  • itsJUSTINduh

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/obrienweb Chris O’Brien

    Under, and the 3 hour window is annoying because I don’t want to have to wait anymore!

  • Krzysztof Kotarba

    over

  • http://twitter.com/Nin3r Richard Martin

    Under, 8:50ish

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=533396927 Kamil Glowacki

    Under!

  • http://www.facebook.com/JeffMaruyama Jeff Maruyama

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/les.weed.9 Les Weed

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/les.weed.9 Les Weed

    Under

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/X3RKC4QPXWGYD7XODSY3EDFMZI FuB

    My guess is they will increase server capacity incrementally between 9pm and 12pm pst.

    Reason is 2 fold,
    1st, obviously to prevent explosive increase in server strain. (for the server)

    2nd, to scatter players to prevent overpopulation in starter zones. (for the player experience)

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/FI7BAOTSHTJZ7RWYQKJRHBD7LE Eric Doherty

    under 9:05pm

  • Jant0n

    Under, 9:45

  • David Swan

    I say over

  • http://twitter.com/viion Josh Freeman

    UNDER!!!

  • dakumaro

    under i say 10:00-10:05

  • http://twitter.com/AlexJaske Alex Jaske

    Under for sure 

  • Thorghan

    Under.
    I guess 8:25, which is, if you replace “:” with “/”, the launch date.

  • http://twitter.com/cipero Matt Cipriano

    DUDE…guildhead in the background! Where’s the story GG? Got me googlin my brains out

  • http://twitter.com/Hagg3r Michael

    Under

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/Z36GPOU3Q2QIQYBIDVNQAVGNGE Raul

    fwiw, when I attempted to log in today, I was prompted to validate my account through a series of email verifications, took a couple of minutes.

    Every second counts :P

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Grimm/1290540679 David Grimm

    Under

  • http://twitter.com/Dragonours Mathieu Mauve

    Over. 
    Based on today’s stress test.

  • mcfoyle

    where’s schaffnit lately? miss that guy

    oh and over

  • Pierce Hanson

    under

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ed-Bennett/705015073 Ed Bennett

    under!

  • ESeregon

    Under

  • http://twitter.com/Vrumpt Justin

    Under

  • Sharuko

    This launch will make D3 launch look good.  This is a easy over.

    People won’t be able to log in until after 1am.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/SMGRLFM4UASOO7QO26HTHBLIOI Shawn

       I’m glad I won’t have to read your filth in a couple more days.

      • Sharuko

        If you plan to read up on anything GW2 related, you won’t hear from me but you will hear from thousands with opinions like me when NCSoft proves it wrote checks it can’t cash.

        • http://profile.yahoo.com/SMGRLFM4UASOO7QO26HTHBLIOI Shawn

           I’m looking around and all I see is your Sharuko. You were wrong before about Tera and this time you will be wrong about GW2.

        • http://www.facebook.com/annemarie.young.9 Anne-Marie Young

          NC Soft is the publisher, ArenaNet is the developer. Get it right if you hope to even have a snowball’s chance in hell of being taken seriously.

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/SMGRLFM4UASOO7QO26HTHBLIOI Shawn

             Don’t worry nobody takes this guy seriously.

    • http://www.facebook.com/annemarie.young.9 Anne-Marie Young

      LOL, keep hoping for the fail, eh, Sharuko?

  • Jiří Benda

    Well if u mean just for a brief period then Under. If u mean a stable servers up then Over.

  • http://twitter.com/BreakingPT Joe D

    Under 9pm

  • http://twitter.com/FishBaitism Fish Bait

    Under, but I can`t be fussed to convert from EU to Pacific time ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/DBZVelena Annelies Duran

    Over, it will be 1 hour and 5 minutes before the time that is official the launch time. with the time post exactly 7 minutes after that. then they will be last minute bug-fixing for that hour and things will run smoothly after that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/craig.gafoor Craig Gafoor

    under

  • http://twitter.com/borded nathan law

    under, i would expect it to be really close to 9 9:45 at the absolute latest. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Caliolo/100003765889295 Robert Caliolo

    OVER, Strictly based on the past stress tests

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/ITHF7XKYGVXFAPCDMDJTKHLBBU Lian Wan

       The BWEs are a better predictor than the stress tests.

  • http://twitter.com/AgeNightroad Adrian Lloyd

    OVER, 11 pm. Ideally UNDER at 10:00 pm.

  • http://www.facebook.com/adzaell Adam Elliott

    under

  • http://www.facebook.com/lee.berg.9 Lee Michael Berg

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/jay.moonchild Jay Moonchild

    Under….@ 9pm pacific

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/ZT7HCPUEW62FDJSXUI5VAWIFCE Mojo Jojo

    Friday 11:04pm PST

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/SMGRLFM4UASOO7QO26HTHBLIOI Shawn

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/annemarie.young.9 Anne-Marie Young

    Under, 9:15 pm PST

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_R35J5EUERGS3E6JRIQMBCDTRRY Nathan I

    under

  • http://www.facebook.com/jordan.dixon.75 Jordan Dixon

    under

  • http://twitter.com/Bubba_Big Make It So GW2

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=619612422 Corey Hernandez

    under

  • http://www.facebook.com/nina.visaya Nina Ann Visaya

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/michael.duncan.7739814 Michael Duncan

    UNDER

  • http://twitter.com/MattstaNinja Mattsta

    Under, 9:36

  • Noxdus

    Under. 10:00

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JD5RIAPTFFZFIF3DCNYVVG7NIQ Kyle Bohannon

    ill go with over

  • http://www.facebook.com/olivier678 Olivier Cimon

    Under 10pm

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/W76UOX2IDTRMMYTPASSJDLXLRM Bob

    Under.

  • sincrow3

    Over

  • Draugmahl

    Under, I think it’ll be very close to the “potential” 9:00pst start. Perhaps 9:12ish.

  • http://www.facebook.com/chad.summerford Chad Summerford

    Under

  • http://twitter.com/Iomegadrive1 Chris P

    Over

  • http://www.facebook.com/VagrantChrisX Christopher B. Velez

    I bet my Redbull and Hotpockets Under!

  • RBHgamer

    under

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Gerrettie-Jr/1287578323 Bill Gerrettie Jr

    Under. 08:25:12pm

  • Evilevi501

    Under 9:01 pst

  • Karizee

    Under.

  • KiraNirvanna

    Under. possibly even earlier than they stated.

  • http://twitter.com/Qanar_ Niek Bergans

    under, but barely

  • http://www.facebook.com/tomi.turku Tomi Turku

    Under. 9:15

  • ssjjr21

    Over, 11pm.  Only because I get home around 10-10:30 from work.

  • http://www.facebook.com/barry.bradley85 Barry Bradley

    over

  • http://twitter.com/crusadernero Crusadernero

    over

  • Alfdis

    Under.  10:02

  • http://www.facebook.com/stosic.nemanja Немања Стошић

    Under. I hope so

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Feyd-Darkholme/100000194391744 Feyd Darkholme

    Under, I think they’re going to try and bring it up as early as possible… Whether it STAYS up is another matter entirely.

  • ArcherAvatar

    12:35 Eastern

  • Matthew Schmidt

    Under 9:55pm pst

  • http://www.facebook.com/justin.munyer Justin Munyer

    One of my favorite things about Arenanet is that they seem as passionate of their game as their players are. They are just bursting to the brim at the thought of sharing their hard work. When we were doing BWE’s they sometimes started early, and when I saw that I could just picture Anet just unable to wait so they started earlier so they could play with us longer.

    My answer is under. 

    I can’t decide whether I think it will be barely under or quite a bit under, but its under. Hopefully not too much though, because thats raid night, and I RL, and if gw2 releases much earlier than that i’m gonna be severely distracted. 

  • http://twitter.com/Jacobite51 David Jacobs

    Definately Under.:)

  • Samilee Poppy

    under

  • http://www.facebook.com/oneniisama Bear Powell

    OVER

  • http://www.facebook.com/DiscordiaDoom Samantha Thompson

    Under!

  • Setekh

    Under – My guess would be 10:00pm

  • http://www.facebook.com/Sean.MP.Rice Sean M P Rice

    Under
     

  • http://www.kaiketsu.enjin.com/ Corey “Crimzen”

    under

  • TheHolgar

    Under, i think the servers goes up 9.00pm – Why wait when they have said maby 3hours earlier, and as been said – too loosen the presure on the servers.
    Be there 9.00 and you will get rewarded for it ;P

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Willi-Enderle/1668850948 Willi Enderle

    under

  • Senatic

    Over. Cus ArenaNet isn’t gonna announce when it’s officially up until that clock hits 12am, it would go against the entire reason for having this loosely defined opening.

    So because of the parameters of this contest (whenever ArenaNet announced it’s officaly up will be the time we’re talking about) it’s gonna be over.

    What’s my prize?

  • Kurkoh

    under

  • robotadventures

    its saturday afternoon in austrailia and japan.  i think we can outlast the sleepy heads. we will go all afternoon and all night.

  • Victoria collon

    over

  • http://www.facebook.com/daniel.beverly Daniel Beverly

    Over I think about 11:15pm pst

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=23323284 Heather Kelsey

    Under… I think 9:04 pst.

  • http://twitter.com/AarschlochGreen Ashlock Green

    Under
     

  • http://www.descendantsofhonor.com/ Frank B

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1375412151 Erik Merickel

    Under, i think it will be 10pm

  • http://twitter.com/crushnaut Phil Mowatt

    under, 9:22pm pst

  • http://twitter.com/BestofGW2 Best of GW2

    under

  • http://twitter.com/BestofGW2 Best of GW2

    under

  • Mystique60

    under.  

  • Kaelestis

    Over 10:46

  • Jadedsheamus

    under 9:35

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Hatcher/100000111448255 David Hatcher

    Under  9:12PM PST

  • Jason Haverfield

    UNDER 9:42pm

  • Oscar Johansson

    Under!

  • Just_Funk

    Under, I am calling early servers, 8:43!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/ITHF7XKYGVXFAPCDMDJTKHLBBU Lian Wan

    I need another stress test before I can answer this question :P

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592390540 Jay Hicks

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592390540 Jay Hicks

    9:45 

  • http://www.facebook.com/robert.lomans Robert Lomans

    under! at least im hoping :P

  • http://www.facebook.com/RudhraigheOHagan Rudhraighe O’Hagan

    Under

  • http://www.facebook.com/RudhraigheOHagan Rudhraighe O’Hagan

    Under! 20:46 PST

  • http://twitter.com/jasenmaster Jasen Master

    Under – 10:03 PM

  • http://www.facebook.com/stuart.chafin Stuart Chafin

    Under 9:43:07

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Benjamin-Westmore-Graham-Cowper-Smith/695080386 Benjamin Westmore Graham Cowpe

    Under but just barely.   10:15 and 32 seconds

  • Joe Victor

    Under

  • Razor4884

    Under! 9:50-10:10

  • Odeezee

    under 7 p.m. PST, watch!

  • http://www.facebook.com/Apinksock27 Michael McDonald

    In hopes with all the stress tests that have been going on, I would say easily before 1030. But, i Doubt EVERYONE that has prepurchased has been trying to log in at the same time to REALLY play the game. So in that, I choose Over.
    Over, but by 11

  • http://twitter.com/Moloco_ Moloco

    Under. 9.55 

  • Phelar Anstikar

    Under with 2 patches

  • http://twitter.com/Blackwyze Blackwyze

    Under, 10:13

  • http://www.facebook.com/samuel.fard89 Samuel Fard

    Under, 9:00

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tj-Vossos/647768691 Tj Vossos

    Under it will come on at 9:50

  • Mariankos

    Under
    My guess is – 3h and 5min earlier 
    8:55 mark my words

  • DoctorOverlord

    Under
    But do you mean then the servers come up or when the servers first come up and *stay* up?I think the servers will open earlier than 10:30 but they may crash or suffer issues as people pour in.  

    Or perhaps people will be automatically sent to the overflow servers prior to 12am and ArenaNet will slowly leak people to the regular servers at a pace that they control.     When the 12am official time comes, they can remove the automatic redirection to overflow and people will be able to log in directly to the servers.   

  • ThnagglePuth

    Under

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