New World was released on September 28, 2021, and has experienced some highs, but even more lows since then. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch summarizes all the important milestones and explains why he is still excited to play New World.
New World has only been on the market for just under 6 months but already has a very eventful history behind it. At the start, there was a huge hype with over 910,000 concurrent players during the weekend after the release on Steam. A milestone that many didn’t expect before launch.
Overall, New World is estimated to have sold about as many copies as ESO or Guild Wars 2 did many years after their release. However, there are no official figures from Amazon.
However, there was already much criticism at release due to long queue times, bugs, and exploits. Gold dupes and bots were a nuisance for many players. Later on, there was criticism regarding the equipment system, the leveling process, and especially the lack of endgame content.
Since then, much has changed. A lot has improved, some things are still bad and hard to understand. Yet, New World holds a special place in my heart and it is no coincidence that I have accumulated well over 500 hours of gameplay.
What captivates me the most are the atmosphere of the world, the combat system, and the constant carrot in front of my nose that is so easy to obtain yet never disappears.
New World, however, has particularly captivated him since the alpha, and he still actively plays it.
New Weapons, New Dungeons, and Many Bug Fixes
Since the release, New World has received a major update every month. In between, there have also been dozens of small patches, mainly containing bug fixes.
The new content is certainly impressive:
- In November, the new weapon “Unheilsstulpen” was released. The old areas were adjusted and new enemies were introduced to the game that should also provide variety in monster combat in the low-level areas.
- In December, there was a large winter event and a revision of the equipment system.
- January brought the dungeon mutations that strongly resemble Mythic+ in WoW. So far, the three endgame dungeons have been equipped with new difficulty levels and changing obstacles.
- February brought an update, in which over 100 bugs were fixed and numerous “Quality of Life” adjustments were made. Highlights included shortened animations, better loot in Outpost Rush, 10% less experience for leveling professions, and adjustments to travel costs.
- The March update introduced the new dungeon “Heart of the Storm” and the weapon Thunder Rifle. The patch is well-received mainly due to its many “Quality of Life” improvements, such as fixed daily cooldowns, using the inventory while running, and the fact that firearms do not require ammunition to use.
But that’s just the rough overview of the many changes that New World has undergone in recent months. Especially in terms of “Quality of Life”, the combat system, and the bugs, much has changed.
Anyone who found leveling to level 60 annoying will notice that the required XP has been reduced in several updates. Travel costs have been significantly reduced, and storage can now be accessed globally from anywhere.
However, the biggest leap took place regarding endgame equipment. There you can see how rough the MMORPG was at the beginning and how much fine-tuning the developers had to undertake to create a somewhat functional and simultaneously unique system.
Finally, A Structure in Equipment and Clear Goals in the Grind
The first stages of equipment were clear and understandable from the start. You received better gear drops with higher levels and could equip them. However, around item score 500, it became opaque. The reason was an invisible “watermark system”.
Each player had a fixed item score for each equipment slot that was increased by farming mobs and opening chests. This value determined what you would typically drop for an item score.
The longer there was no increase in this invisible value, the higher the chance of getting a drop with a higher item score. If this was the case, the invisible watermark adjusted to the new value and you had to grind again to level up. Sounds complicated, and it was.
In December, this system was replaced by the so-called “competency”. This value is now clearly visible alongside the equipment, and there are precise percentage indications for increases, as well as the gypsum system.
Through the gypsum system, you can complete daily tasks, such as finishing a dungeon, playing two rounds of Outpost Rush, or completing events in the open world. As a reward, you receive special diamonds through which you can create a gypsum version of your current equipment.
This gypsum version guarantees an increase in competency, allowing you to specifically work towards item score 600 and later even 625.
In my opinion, the system is successful, albeit somewhat grind-heavy. For progress to be made, you often have to repeat the same tasks over and over. Many daily tasks are quick to complete, and it creates that constant feeling of progress.
The Wrong Order in Content
New World was opaque at many points at launch and made many unusual decisions. Much of this has been corrected in recent months, but it is by no means perfect.
For example, the developers faced a small backlash during the January patch for having already introduced an increase in item score to 625 into the game. Many could not understand this as player retention had begun to decline far before reaching endgame, and even many active players did not have complete gear at 600 yet.
Players had wished for bug fixes or new content like new areas or new story content instead of directly receiving more grind for equipment. There were also fears of balance issues in PvP, which have not turned out to be significant so far.
Nevertheless, some players were left with an unpleasant aftertaste.
bugs, exploits, and delays
This unpleasant aftertaste has also persisted through further releases, as New World still regularly encounters bugs and issues that shouldn’t usually occur on live servers:
- In February, Valentine’s skins were released, which had to be removed after 6 hours due to a bug.
- In February and March, there were already two new exploits where items could be duplicated.
- Server merges and transfers are still chaotic, resulting in some companies being split. Some servers are also on the brink of extinction but have yet to be merged with any other world.
- With the February update, adjustments to the combat system were introduced that not everyone appreciated. There were problems with the “ability queue” whereby, when activating multiple abilities, they played out in sequence. This made it impossible to react to current situations. However, a fix has since been implemented.
- Also, the bot issue is still a problem, as they have now reached the max level through farming materials.
Even the latest March update had problems. Originally, it was supposed to launch on March 30 in the morning our time. Then it was hastily postponed to March 31 in the morning. The release finally took place on March 31 at 7:00 PM, right in Europe’s prime time.
Opinions divided on the combat system
New World has made several adjustments to the combat system over the past months. Some have even worsened the battles, including the aforementioned “queue system”.
Since the latest update in March, however, the combat system feels better again and is overall smoother than it was at release.
An Atmosphere and Gameplay That Convince Me
Despite the launch errors and the many problems that New World still has, I am a big fan of the MMORPG. This is mainly due to:
- The unique atmosphere of the world
- The combat system
- The incredibly satisfying crafting system
- The constant progress I can achieve in New World without having to invest much
I like medieval settings. The fights over the settlements and the choice of weapons in New World fit perfectly. This is complemented by a mysterious and enigmatic world that I have understood in its basics by now but leaves plenty of room for more stories.
What exactly lies behind the Azoth, and which mysterious areas await beyond the currently known, intrigues me greatly.
Moreover, I love fighting in New World. The attacks have considerable weight, and I constantly have to plan my steps in advance. Due to the long animations and the limited abilities, I can’t just spam a mindless rotation that I learned by heart.
I am constantly challenged, especially in PvP battles. There, I have never felt that I am lacking additional abilities. On the contrary, six abilities, two different types of attacks, blocking, and dodging are more than enough to keep me on my toes.
In general, I am a fan of having to dodge attacks and actively aim. I also enjoy being challenged in my reaction speed and the fact that I can combine completely different playstyles with two weapons. The combat system of New World offers me all of this.
What I can also spend a lot of time on without much pressure are crafting and the grind for new competency levels. Both are indeed grind-heavy, but they are very well manageable.
Either I am with my colleagues in voice chat, running a dungeon or a few events together, or I join a large group of players. Then I can zone out a bit and watch series while we slay hordes of corrupted enemies or simply run around looting chests.
For me, New World offers a robust combat system, an exciting world, and paired with plenty of relaxation and grind for which I don’t have to think much outside of dungeon mutations or PvP. I previously enjoyed this mindless grind in Black Desert:
But I also really enjoy the PvP. I have participated in numerous wars and almost play a round of Outpost Rush every day. I enjoy competing against other players and measuring my skills against them. Additionally, we have to coordinate in both modes and achieve secondary objectives.
I am also motivated by the news that new PvP arenas are expected to be introduced in the spring of 2022.
I also view the developers’ communication positively. Every month, there is a video with explanations for the new update, featuring background on design decisions and future outlooks. This transparency is something I only know from FFXIV and recently Lost Ark, but not from large western games like WoW, SWTOR, or ESO.
The Future of New World Remains Uncertain Despite the Roadmap
After 6 months, the player count of New World is far from its all-time peak. Instead of the 913,000 players from October 3, only about 37,300 were online at peak on April 3 (via SteamDB).
Thus, New World is likely still slightly above the level of Lord of the Rings Online and DC Universe Online. Both have between 100,000 and 400,000 unique players who log in at least once a month. These MMORPGs show that ongoing development over the years is possible, but major leaps like graphics or engine updates do not necessarily have to happen there either.
A similar fate could befall New World if there is no significant turnaround.
However, some hope comes from the big roadmap for 2022. It includes highlights such as:
- The 3v3 PvP arenas and new PvP rewards, which are scheduled to appear in spring.
- An automatic group search feature for dungeons and a new dungeon in summer.
- The first new area and the “Great Sword” weapon in autumn.
- Various events, including a summer event and something for Halloween.
Especially the PvP arenas and the group search for dungeons could spark some renewed interest. Both are content that the game’s fans have urgently requested. However, Amazon would have to ensure that these updates are rolled out flawlessly.
New World had a very rocky start and remains far from being a perfect MMORPG even 6 months after its release. Bugs are still present, issues surrounding empty servers are unresolved, and errors still occur after new updates, just like with the Valentine’s skins or the recent gold dupes.
But New World has changed significantly in the last 6 months. Leveling is faster, there are more weapons, more quests in the endgame, more rewards, and more clarity about how the various systems in the game work.
Those who couldn’t stand the fundamental system of New World, the world, or the combat will not find a reason to check out the MMORPG again in 2022. However, those who were particularly bothered by bugs, missing “Quality of Life” content, or a lack of endgame should definitely visit the world of Aeternum again.
Especially the new dungeons, the dungeon mutations, and the PvP content offer diverse tasks. Additionally, one can lose oneself beautifully in the grind of crafting materials or equipment. The player count has also solidified significantly by now, although at a lower level than many had hoped. However, the very small servers quickly foster a familial atmosphere, so you eventually get to know your friends, group leaders, and even enemies from other factions, even if you don’t engage in any company.
I still have fun and can continue to recommend the MMORPG to all my friends and readers here.
Alexander Leitsch
MMORPG expert at MeinMMO
If you are still not convinced despite the many arguments in favor of New World, we invite you to check out Find Your Next Game for more MMOs and MMORPGs. Black Desert, for instance, has changed with its latest expansion and gained some new content:
Black Desert is becoming more of a theme park MMORPG with the new expansion, and that is great
