Just like in real life, one can't do much without fiat money in Guild Wars 2. That currency would be gold and is by far the most versatile out of all the currencies in the MMORPG. For most players, gold is an enabler that allows them to craft or purchase that coveted legendary gear or in some cases, even provides them some of the Living World content that they missed. Most often though, it's used for purchasing those sweet cosmetic upgrades.

In that regard, Guild Wars 2 is one of the most generous MMORPGs in existence even compared to other popular titles in the genre. It lets players avoid spending real money by letting them spend gold. However, the catch is that accumulating gold isn't that easy. Running around blindly and doing random stuff isn't going to cut it if you plan on amassing wealth. Certain activities yield more gold than others so don't miss this Tyria gold rush.

Updated December 14, 2021, by Belle Huston: Guild Wars 2 is an ever-changing game, so we must change with it! This article has been updated with info about the latest ways that players are earning their piles of gold.

10 Ride The Silverwastes Gold Train

gw2 silverwastes art
  • Required Level: 80
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Low

One of the most foolproof and longest-running gold-making methods, the Silverwastes map event train has made many players rich. It consists of running in a Silverwastes-focused group and then completing the event up until The Breach meta event.

After that, tons of chests will be available all over the map. These will be opened by the commander and will contain crafting materials and items. They can be sold for plenty of gold. The event can also be repeated as many times as long as there's a group present in the LFG menu.

This map is even foolproof for beginners, since there are usually so many other people on the map. It'll take some time to learn, and you should put in the effort to do so, but there are lots of players who are willing to guide you along and explain the rules of the map to you.

9 Turn Crafting Into Profit

gw crafting interface
  • Required Level: N/A, but high Crafting Level needed
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Low-Medium

For those of you who have a little more patience and business acumen with your crafting materials, making something out of them can yield better gold. Certain qualities or tiers of crafting materials are more in-demand than others, especially those that aren't found in high-level areas.

If you want to go the extra mile, then there are a few things you can do.First, shooting for ascended crafting materials is a lucritive way to go as it sells for the most gold and probably won't cost much if you already have the materials. If not, then crafting some rares or exotics then selling them also yields well. Second, you can find clusters of material nodes that you can farm each day and use those materials to craft the most valuable items. You can find details about these clusters on the wiki and in many other online guides.

8 Keep A Bag-Opener

Guild Wars 2 - In-game screenshot of hundreds of Heavy Loot Bags in a Guild Bank and Player's Inventory
  • Required Level: one level 43-50, one level 80
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Low

In Guild Wars 2, the loot you get from bags will scale depending on your level. Sometimes, the loot you get from bags at level 50 is more valuable than the loot you get at level 80, even though it's at a higher tier. A "Bag-Opener" is a character that you keep at a specific level so that they can open all the bags that you get and earn the most valuable resources.

Lots of people have different opinions on exactly how valuable this method is. It used to be that bags would drop gear that scaled to the character's level, which then could be salvaged for the associated valuable materials of that level. However, a recent change to the game means that a lot of equipment from bags (the ones earned during max level meta events) drop as "unidentified" (sometimes shortened by players to "unids") and, when identified, is always level 80 gear. That change shrunk the abilities of the bag-opener.

However, not all of the loot from bags is going to be equipment, and anything that isn't an unidentified piece of gear will be scaled to the right level. While it's a tactic especially employed by players who run the Silverwastes, it doesn't hurt to open all your bags on the correct character level. To determine what level of character will be the most lucrative, check out silverwastes.loltools.net. At the time of this writing, it was level 49.

The only exceptions to the "open everything on your bag-opener" are...

  • PvP Track Chests
  • WvW Track Chests
  • Identifying Unidentified Gear
  • All Bags Affected By Your "Magic Find" Stat

These should all be opened/identified on a level 80 character because they have a chance to give you rare level 80 equipment.

7 Complete Those Dailies Regularly

guild wars 2 daily achievement
  • Required Level: N/A
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Low

Like other MMORPGs, Guild Wars 2 gives out daily events so that there won't be a shortage of activities for players. They can get monotonous though but they're easy to do and still reward gold for minimal effort.

Players only need to complete three achievements of any kind for a couple of gold coins. If you happen to have the Living World content or the new expansions, many of those new maps come with map-specific daily tasks. Depending on the map, the completion rewards might be gold, map-specific loot, or a combination.

6 Sell Crafting Materials

gw2 material storage
  • Required Level: The Higher The Better
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Low

Players who have been religiously playing the game for several months or weeks might want to take a look at their materials deposits. Because, if you're like us and often just hit the "deposit materials" button and then forget they exist, there's a big chance you have something worth several gold in your bank.

These can be anything from leather, ores, or even timber. Those who want to earn some quick numbers can go straight to the Black Lion Trading Company merchant and sell these materials at the auction house. The rarer the material, the more in-demand it is and thus has a higher bidding price.

This method is for getting between 5 and 100 gold quickly, not for earning sustained gold over time. However, if you investigate which crafting materials you should sell as soon as you see them in your inventory, and which you should keep for crafting something that's worth a lot more, you'll be able to keep an eye out for it as you play.

5 Get On The World Bosses/Champions Train

tequatl the sunless boss fight from gw2
  • Required Level: Depends On Boss, 80 For Train
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Medium

Farming World Bosses and even Champions around the map have existed long before Silverwastes events. These days, it's slower compared to the more updated META methods but it's nevertheless reliable and active.

Most players simply need to find a dedicated group in the LFG running World Boss trains and then join the fray. Each boss gives out substantial rewards that can be traded or sold at merchants. It's also a good alternative for when you get tired of running meta events.

4 Brave The Fractals

Fractal-4
  • Required Level: 80 (ideally)
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Medium-Hard

For those of you who are tired of the decrepit dungeons, then something more updated, such as Fractals, should provide more fun at the cost of a higher skill requirement. It has its advantages and disadvantages compared to the traditional Guild Wars 2 dungeons but needs an experienced team for consistent gold rates.

The best fractal to run will change with time, as updates and new content come, so ask around and keep up with the community to discover what the best use of time will be. Players can then use their Encryption Keys and Fractal Encryptions to purchase boxes from the merchants in the Fractal Lobby. This can yield around 10 gold or so per hour. Almost all Fractal runs are good enough provided you get steady Encryption Keys.

3 Convert Currency (Not Just Gems)

gw2 currency wallet interface
  • Required Level: The Higher The Better
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Medium

Unbeknownst to many players is how they might actually be sitting on a treasure horde that is yet to be liquidated. Currencies like Karma, Spirit Shards, and even Badges of Honor can be transformed into gold.

These currencies can be used to buy crafting materials and then combined into in-demand items to be sold at a higher price compared to what you spent in making them. Or sometimes, just the crafting materials themselves will be valuable on the Trading Post. Refer to a website like gw2efficiency to know which currencies are worth liquidating.

2 Get Trade Post Flipping

blt interface from gw2
  • Required Level: N/A
  • Required Expansions: N/A
  • Difficulty: Medium

This is a standard method for any MMORPG with a player-controlled trading post or auction house. Though, as always, it's a tricky method that requires a considerable amount of luck and foresight.

Flipping is basically buying low and then selling high. If players are aware of the materials' supply and demand curve, they can purchase those materials when they're cheaper in the trading post and then sell them once the stocks are rare and their values are inflated. Websites like gw2effiency can help players track these trading post trends and fluctuations.

istan great hall in gw2
  • Required Level: 80 (Usually)
  • Required Expansions: The More The Better, And Heart Of Thorns Is Recommended
  • Difficulty: Medium-Hard

By far one of the most popular go-to gold farming spots for most players these days are the latest maps introduced in the Living World updates and the expansions. Each of these maps has its own meta events that reward tons of loot bags.

These loot bags have items that can be dismantled and then sold at the trading post. It can be anything from Istan Great Hall to Dragonfall events. Just be sure to join a group or squad for maximum fun and efficiency.

Exceedingly wealthy players are usually the ones who know which meta events are the most lucrative and run them repeatedly throughout the day. At the time of this writing, Auric Basin (a map in the Heart of Thorns expansion) is known for having a particularly lucrative meta event, with tons of chests to open on top of the rewards earned as you go.

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