Guild Wars 2 doesn’t actually do many surprise updates or events, which is to its credit; it operates according to a well-communicated plan. But ArenaNet is doing something special today in the form of PvE and PvP perks in today’s patch. First, the team has released what it’s calling a surprise quickplay mode, or rather, the beta for said mode. It’s meant to ease players into fractals.

“Quickplay will automatically pair you with other adventurers and launch you into a curated list of scale 1 fractals,” the studio says. “You can use this new feature when you’re solo, in a full group, or in a partial group, and quickplay will do the rest!” It’s also OK if you kinda suck: “The Mist Stranger will also assist players using the quickplay mode queue by helping to revive fallen adventurers and overcome environmental puzzles.”

Today’s patch also adds open world fractal boss events that will send players to different zones to take on bosses in newbie zones. The achievement line for participation includes some decent rewards, including gear, bag slot expansions, a 20-slot bag, and a legendary weapon starter key. The permanent cheevos include a nifty set of gloves that confers a glowy particle effect to your equipped weapon.

Finally, the Push PvP mode has leveled up and is officially launching today after a year of testing that our own PvP columnist Sam said was fruitful indeed. The version releasing today features tweaks to visual effects, ramps, pathing, and secondary objectives.

“Almost exactly a year ago today, we unveiled our plans to develop a new PvP mode alongside the community. After three beta events, countless changes based on player feedback, new map art, and new UI elements, we’re finally launching Push out of beta and into full release. PvP players can hop into the game right now and play Push. This game mode is here to stay!”