Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is gearing up for its first season update this July. Following the teases dropped during the live broadcast, plenty of players are counting down the days until next week. But there is another reason to keep an eye on the calendar.

Since July 2nd, the 'Duel Festival Prelude Attendance' event has been the talk of the town among the player base. It is your standard 'log in for seven days to get rewards' affair, but the 'Duel Festival' branding has certainly piqued interest.

As you might recall, the developers mentioned plans for new PvP content during the previous live stream. Mind you, this isn't a direct player-versus-player scrap; the developers described it as an indirect competition where teams of two vie to capture and score points at 'Harrenhal'.

With no further details released since that teaser, the arrival of a 'duel'-themed event has sent speculation into overdrive. Coincidentally, the event concludes on July 15th, exactly three weeks after the last update. We shall see if the long-awaited dueling content finally breaks cover this coming Wednesday.

The North American server, despite launching a year ahead of its Asian counterpart, has left players feeling a bit short-changed due to a recent slowdown in the update cadence. The gap is becoming increasingly palpable, especially as quality-of-life features already live on the Asian servers have yet to make the jump overseas.

Consequently, voices in the North American community are growing louder, calling for better communication from the developers. All the players want is a clear vision and a roadmap to stay invested in the game. For now, the hope for the North American player base rests on the 'Server Merge' and 'Casterly Rock' updates slated for the third quarter of this year. Here is hoping for some good news to reward their patience.

For the uninitiated, Casterly Rock is the ancestral seat of House Lannister. In the original novels, it is a fortress carved out of a massive mountain, boasting a scale that is second to none in Westeros. Conversely, the television adaptation depicted it as a more modest castle perched on coastal cliffs, which left book purists rather underwhelmed. Naturally, the North American community is now debating whether the upcoming update will capture the grandeur of the source material or lean into the visual style of the show.

Players in North America are showing off some serious community spirit while waiting for these updates. This week, a Kraken Solo Raid speedrun tournament is being organised by a player known as 'Borovaneca'.

The tournament is stirring up curiosity with its unique ruleset: secondary weapons are strictly forbidden, leaving competitors to rely solely on heavy hit combos and artifacts. While the build and balance environment differs from the Asian servers, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the North American meta. You can catch the action live on Twitch on July 13th at 1:00 AM (KST).