Gold is the currency that Guild Wars 2 players use to purchase various items from NPC Vendors and the Trading Post. You can't go around not having enough gold on you in this day and age due to the rising cost of certain materials you may need to craft that one ascended weapon you want, or to convert your gold into gems for the unique gemstore items. When it comes to gold, the majority of Guild Wars 2 players will turn to the most profitable gold farms, but which of these are the most profitable without having to leave your keyboard?

Why the emphasis on non-AFK?

There is a rising habit of certain players going AFK while their Necromancer minions and Mechanist Jade Mechs deal with adjacent mobs as they AFK and auto-loot the goodies. Farming while not on your keyboard is a punishable offense, especially if you use software to give the impression that you are still playing. It is also strongly discouraged by the majority of the playerbase.

5. Festival Farming - Festival of the Four Winds

The Festival of the Four Winds is one of Guild Wars 2's annual festivals. It is a mash-up of two events: the Bazaar of the Four Winds and the Queen's Jubilee. The first part of the festival takes place at Labyrinthine Cliffs, where the Zephyrites welcome visitors to join them in celebrating the festivities and participating in some fun and unique events. The second part takes place in Divinity's Reach's Crown Pavilion, the underground arena that serves as a celebratory arena showcasing human strength.

How effective is it?

Depending on how many times you run the events, you can earn a substantial amount of loot and tokens. The more events you complete in Labyrinthine Cliffs and Crown Pavilion, the more tokens you will receive to trade for loot bags that can be sold or opened for their materials.

How it works?

• To get to Labyrinthine Cliffs, go to Divinity’s Reach or any of the major cities and find an NPC that offers a balloon ride to the map. You will be arriving at the new map and be able to do all sorts of profitable events that provide you tons of loot, and more importantly, the Festival Tokens.
• The key to farming the Labyrinthine Cliffs is simply to do whichever event is happening currently and simply have fun. There is so much to do in this first part that you will not run out of things to do. From participating in various races to joining a treasure hunt and even a fishing tournament, there is so much activity you can earn tokens and loot from.
• To get started with the second part, head on over to Divinity’s Reach and go to the Crown Pavilion to access the newly opened location. It is a large circular map that is split into six biomes where different enemy types can be fought and obtain loot from. Any player of any level can participate in the event since their levels will be immediately adjusted to 80 upon entering.
• Players will be farming the meta event, Prepare for the Boss Blitz, where players will roam across the different biomes and hunt down the six bosses and their mobs for their loot and can be repeated constantly. Players need to be wary of certain locations in the map and their bosses because some have tricky mechanics that can quickly down unskilled players.
• Players can either form parties in the map or join an LFG for a proper farming group. Once a group or squad has been established, if you are following the group, follow the commander and zerg across the map, destroying everything in your path.
• If you are the leader of the squad, it is highly recommended that you have experience in doing the event and know the specific encounters and mechanics. You can either form a zerg and bulldoze across the map or split into groups and take down the various bosses simultaneously.
• You can easily sell the loot bags in the trading post and gain a respectable amount of gold for doing it for a few hours. You may also earn tons of Festival Tokens that you can use to trade for several loot bags from NPCs that you can sell on the Trading Post or open them and sell the materials found inside.

4. Fractals Farming - Fractal 42

Fractals of the Mists is end-game content for Guild Wars 2 that involves players entering instanced scenarios and fighting bosses at the conclusion. Players' fractal level rises as they progress through the fractals, and they are soon introduced to fractal instabilities and the agony mechanic. Fractals, like dungeons, raids, and strike missions, are excellent gold farming opportunities due to the loot they provide, though some fractal levels are prioritized more than others.

How effective is it?

For a long time, gold farming through Fractals has been a tried and tested method that has proven to be very profitable. Some players use the LFG tool to try to get multiple fractal runs with other players looking to farm the instance. However, because you will be farming the same instance over and over again, it may grow tedious.

How it works?

• Prior to potentially farming Fractals, you need to first have the equipment necessary and agony resistance in order to mitigate the additional damage caused by having little to no resistance.
• In order to get to the farming location, head on over to Lion’s Arch and head on over to Fort Mariner and look for the portal that leads you to the Fractals of the Mists.
• When you reach the portal, you will be greeted with a menu that asks you which Fractal you wish to take on before heading inside the Fractals Lobby. If you have been doing this unique end game dungeon and have some experience with it, you may have gone further and reached higher fractal levels. Select Tier 2: Adept and click on number 42, the Mai Trin boss fight where you take on the elusive Aetherblade captain and her crew. If you are not as experienced or don’t have enough agony resistance, you can do the level 18 version but may not have as much loot.
• Once you and your party get sent into the fractal mini-dungeon, you will be facing off against a few crew mates and a champion. Dispatch these enemies and head towards the next area.
• After an agony check and once the enemies finish their dialogues, the fight begins. Mai Trin will have a buff on her that reduces incoming damage. To remove this, players will frequently be targeted by First Mate Horrik who will launch cannon balls towards players. Sometimes, these cannon balls will have an electrical charge that will remove several stacks of Mai Trin’s buffs. Once all the stacks are gone, you can inflict damage on her.
• At around 75%, 50%, and 25%, Mai Trin will become invincible as she stays on top of a platform while you deal with Horrik and several additional mobs. Be careful because the area will be continually blasted with cannon fire.
• After you lower Horrik’s health, you will once again fight Mai Trin. Rinse and repeat until you defeat the bosses.
• Once you are back at the lobby, you can simply go back to the console and reset the level back to 42 and re-enter the same mini-dungeon.

3. Auric Basin Meta Events

When the Heart of Thorns expansion first released, it included four new maps, one of which was Auric Basin. It is a large map crawling with Mordrem enemies attempting to reach Tarir, The Forgotten City, the central location. Players are rewarded with tons of treasures when the door beneath the center of the map is opened after successfully assisting the Exalted in defending Tarir during the meta event. These chests require keys, which can be obtained from NPCs near the map's entrance or as rewards for completing the events.

How effective is it?

The Auric Basin meta events have been a great source of income for many players since the expansion's release and are still frequently run by groups of players. As long as the players know how to fight the four Octovine bosses, you can always find a group willing to do the meta events and others leading up to it.

How it works?

• To get to the Auric Basin map, there are two methods to choose from. The first is to traverse Verdant Brink and head on to the southwestern part of the map and claim the Treacherous Paths waypoint. The other is to enter the guild hall that is located in Gilded Hollow. Once there, travel to the Surface Tunnel Waypoint and head for the exit nearby. You will find yourself at the lower part of Tarir where you can get the Forgotten City Waypoint.
• Once in Auric Basin, you may go solo or join either a party or squad that is doing an Auric Basin farm run. Whichever you choose, all you really need to do is to do the various events happening across the map before and during the meta events. Most players would rather stick to simply doing the meta events, but for additional loot, it is often better to do everything if you are feeling up for it.
• Prior to the meta events, make sure you have at least 20+ Exalted Keys which can be purchased from specific vendors in Tarir and the entrance of the map to the northwest.
• During the meta events, you and the other players will need to split up and take on either the north, east, south, or western part of Tarir and simultaneously defeat the Octovines destroying the city. The players need to use the map chat and work together to kill the bosses at the same time, otherwise the bosses will regenerate. Each side has different mechanics that can be confusing to newcomers, but as long as the new players listen to map chat and always carry crowd-control skills and/or a skill that can push enemies if needed, they will do well.
• Upon defeating the Octovines, there will be a large double door at the lower level of Tarir located near the Forgotten City Waypoint that leads to multiple hallways and vaults with Grand Exalted Chests. Enjoy your goodies, commander.

For more information regarding this method, click on this link: [fast] Farming Community

2. Festival Farming - Lunar New Year

Another annual event that celebrates the new year and is inspired by real life is the Lunar New Year Festival. It commemorates the current animal representative of the year, with the Rabbit representing 2023. The following one will be the Year of the Dragon, giving us less than a year to plan one of the most profitable gold farms available.

How effective is it?

Although the event has passed, players have reported making a profit from the Lunar New Year events, and some have prepared ahead of time to maximize their chances. It has the highest risk-reward ratio, but it may be worthwhile for those willing to take the risk. Who knows, maybe the next time the event comes around it will be your year.

How it works?

• The Lunar New Year event is one of the first festivals that welcome the new year and brings with it an opportunity to become richer in-game. To participate in the festivities, head on over to Divinity’s Reach then teleport to the Crown Pavilion Waypoint. You will notice that the map has been decorated in an asian aesthetic with tons of lanterns, fireworks displays, etc.
• The way you will be farming this event is through purchasing the lucky envelopes sold by the NPCs and opening them. The loot gained from these envelopes can be affected by Magic Find and it is highly required to attempt to max out as much as possible. You can do this by using Guild Banners, the Magic Find boosters you receive occasionally, using the Lunar New Year food which raises Magic Find during the festival, and many others.
• Normally, you can only buy a limited number of the regular envelopes (sold at 1 gold a piece) but there are alternatives which require a few silver and some tokens you can use by playing the Dragon Ball festival minigame (think extreme PvP Dodgeball) or doing Lunar New Year dailies. You can even buy up to three envelopes per day from inside your Guild Hall as long as your Guild’s level is high enough to be able to purchase them.
• Be very wary though, as it is not guaranteed that you will be able to profit highly from this since RNG still plays a role in it, despite being influenced greatly by Magic Find. 

1. Fishing Gold Farming

The End of Dragons expansion added a brand new mastery to the game, fishing, which adds more activities that a player can do in their spare time. Believe it or not, by mastering both fishing and skiff riding, you have discovered one of the best methods of gold farming that is low in intensity and can be repeated repeatedly. You will reap additional benefits from other players to make the most of your fishing adventures.

How effective is it?

It is one of the most effective methods for farming gold and can be more relaxing. You may need to form a fishing party in several areas if you want to top up your Fishing Party Catches buff and gain more profit. 

How it works?

• You are required to first have all the masteries for fishing and the skiff. These masteries are the driving force for your ability to farm gold effectively.
• Make sure that you have the proper bait and lure for fishing. The recommended equipment are Scorpion bait (found to the west of the waypoint of the Free City of Amnoon near the port), Sardine bait (found east of the first waypoint in Kaineng Docks), the Amber Fishing Lures (found northwest within Arborstone), and the Jade Fishing Lure (found southeast of the waypoint in Junlai Jade Quarry).
• In order to make sure you get better fishing loot, you can raise your chances by using the following food buffs that you can buy from the Trading Post: Redfish Sushi (increases fishing power by 150, Magic Find by 30%, and experience gained from killing foes), Magic Find Booster (booster that increases Magic Find which can be given for free while leveling up or even bought in the gemstore), or even some Guild Banners.
• Now that you are all set with the proper boosts and equipment, you need to know where to fish and during what in-game time to do so. During the morning, it is recommended to start fishing in the Crystal Oasis map at the Bay of Elon near the Free City of Amnoon. You will be looking to find two specific fish: the giant paddlefish and the Vundu (use Scorpion bait).
• For night time fishing, it is recommended to start fishing in either New Kaineng or Straits of Devastation. Use the sardines while fishing at Straits of Devastation and fish along the Strait of Sacrilege point of interest. Try your best to capture the Shipwrecked Moray. At New Kaineng, you can fish near the water near the Promenade waypoint and look for Bluefin Tuna (use mackerel bait which can be bought from majority of fishmonger NPCs)
• Once you are done fishing for a while, double click on the fish you have caught and you will be looking to sell on the Trading Post your hard-earned Chunk of Ancient Ambergris. The reason these are profitable is because of its usefulness in crafting the Aurene-inspired legendary weapon set so these will be useful for quite a long time.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see, there are numerous ways to earn gold in Guild Wars 2 simply by playing the game and completing the content. There are many other ways to get into gold farming, so if you know of any that aren't listed here, please let us know and we'll include them in a future installment. If any of these methods appear to be viable for you right now, try them out and let us know how you get on in the comments section.For more information on farming gold, here is a website that has alternatives that you can try for yourselves.