Before the release of the long-awaited MMO New World, the Closed Beta starts on July 20, 2021. We at MeinMMO want to bring you up to date on the latest developments.
New World is an open-world MMORPG from Amazon Games. The focus of the action is the continent Aeternum, surrounded by an ocean. Dive into the adventure as explorers and explore the vast, unknown continent. You will encounter various challenges, whether from the island’s inhabitants or from other players.
We reveal 7 things you should know before the beta.
1. Beta launch, keys, preload, and game progress
The closed beta of New World will start on July 20, 2021, at around 6:30 PM our time and will end on August 2, 2021, at around 8:59 AM. You will also need an account for the beta, and it is no longer under NDA. It can be streamed publicly.
If you want to participate in the beta, you can do this in two ways:
– On the official New World website, all players can apply for access. This does not mean that every applicant will get one.
– If you want to be on the safe side and not rely on luck, your only option is to pre-order the game. All pre-order customers are allowed to participate in the closed beta. This is possible on the Amazon product page and on Steam. Both options are linked on the pre-order page of New World ( via New World).
Players who pre-ordered New World on Amazon by July 17 should have received their keys by July 19. Players who pre-ordered the game on Amazon after July 17 will receive their key up to 48 hours after order confirmation.
Unfortunately, nothing specific is known about this possibility yet. Currently, it seems that players will only receive their code at the start of the beta.
No, even players who have already tested the alpha of New World will have to start from the beginning in the beta.
No, also regarding this question, the New World team does not have a positive answer. All character and game data will be reset at release.
Yes, there should be no restrictions in content.
Current gameplay of New World can be found in our YouTube video, where MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch got to try out a dungeon:
2. This is how you get started in the game
What does character creation offer? The character creation of New World may seem disappointing for fans of extensive customization options. The only playable race is human. Thus, New World is more of a game that is oriented towards our real world.
You can choose between a male and a female character. Once you have made your decision, several options are available. These include different faces, facial details, hairstyles, hair, skin, and eye colors, as well as scars and tattoos.
The editor was equipped with only a few functions for testing in August 2020, but should have been expanded during the alpha.
Why can’t I choose a class? What is also missing in the character creation process is the class selection. New World does not have a traditional class function like other MMOs. You cannot choose a paladin, mage, or rogue here.
Instead, your abilities and play style are based on the chosen weapons, the corresponding skill trees, and the selected attributes:
How does the game begin? After a short introduction, you will be washed ashore on the coast of Aeternum and into the first area. In the first area, you will need to defend yourself against an enemy, a Corrupted. Here you will learn the combat system.
After that, you can use the first area to accept quests, which will give you further insight into the various functions of the game. You should take this opportunity to gain an early understanding of New World.
Then you will complete further quests in the first larger village and focus on reaching level 10. Once you reach level 10 and complete some necessary quests, you can join one of the factions of New World.
What factions are there? In New World, you join one of three factions. They offer you further quests and later also exclusive faction equipment. You gain reputation and rise through the ranks. The factions are:
- Marauder – This faction resembles pirates. Their freedom is more important to this group than power.
- Syndicate – The Syndicate is a faction that focuses on the use of potions and magic. They are most comparable to alchemists.
- Covenant – Here we have the classic crusaders. The Covenant is committed to combating the Corrupted and generally to fighting evil.
If you have decided on one of the three factions, you can only change it after 120 days. In doing so, you lose all reputation points.
Can I team up with other players in New World? Yes, because New World offers not only a group function but also its own guild system. The guilds in New World are called companies, and their members can start various activities together. A company can have up to 100 members and is accessible from level 10.
The leader of a company is the governor, and their deputies are the consuls. A company always belongs to a specific faction. The settlements and forts in New World can be claimed and even expanded by companies.
3. A tactical combat system offers you a lot of variety
How do the battles in New World feel? The battles in New World are tactical. You must attack, aim, dodge, and block independently. It is comparable to the battles in games like Dark Souls.
The different weapons also play differently. For example, your animations when attacking with heavy weapons are slower, making it easier for players to dodge them. However, the hits do considerably more damage.
If you attack your enemies with small and fast weapons, they can be harder to dodge, but the hits are not as devastating. Additionally, combat actions can always be canceled with the right timing.
How do weapon abilities work? As mentioned before, New World does not use fixed classes but has built its combat system around the different weapon types. Each weapon has its own skill tree, which allows for various enhancements.
Each weapon features 3 active skills that you can use in combat. Additionally, you have the option to switch between 2 different weapons during the fight.
4. The quest system has been revised
In the first tests of New World, the quest design was heavily criticized. Amazon Games took this criticism to heart and revised the quest system.
How does the main quest work? The main quest in New World is intended to guide the player through the different regions and areas. It is meant to give the player the opportunity to explore Aeternum and uncover the secrets of the island. The main quest is also supposed to serve as a guide for the player from level 1 to 60. Between story missions, players must level up their characters to continue.
By the way, the start of the main quest of New World has also been revised. The story around obtaining the Azoth Staff, an important item for fighting the corruption of Aeternum, is now supposed to play out much better.
How has the quest system been revised? The diversity of the quests has been revised since launch to provide more variety than just “Kill X enemies” and “Collect Y items.” Additionally, quests are now supposed to be better told.
The player should better and more easily understand their role in the events surrounding Aeternum and give their character a better identity. Furthermore, the lore of Aeternum is supposed to play a larger role in the open world than before.
Lastly, a voiceover for the quests has been introduced.
5. Early and midgame options in New World
What should you do in the early game of New World? The beginning of New World is all about leveling. Here you will learn about the different game mechanics, complete quests, and gain initial experience with crafting and gathering items.
In addition to completing classic quests, you can also participate in the world events of New World, which are missions in the open world for a group of players.
From level 20 onwards, you can start housing in New World. To do this, you simply buy a plot of land in a settlement. However, you must pay certain property taxes if you want to use all the features. The house itself is instanced.
What options does midgame offer? Once you reach level 25, you can participate in new content. From this point, you can enter the first dungeon of New World. The dungeons in New World are called “Expeditions.”
Expeditions can be entered with 3 to 5 players and allow you to fight against strong enemies. If you defeat them and successfully complete the expedition, you can receive high-quality rewards. In addition to this personalized reward, you will also gain experience points, allowing you to level up your character with expeditions.
In addition to the dungeons, there are also the so-called invasions. To participate, however, you need to be level 50 already. It is therefore only available towards the end of your leveling.
Invasions are PvE battles against 8 waves of corrupted enemies. The goal is to defend a settlement or town that is the target of the assault. They occur when players ignore the corruption of the area for too long.
Can I do PvP before endgame in New World? Yes, that is possible. You will have the most comprehensive experiences in the open world as a representative of your faction or together with your company.
Players who have joined one of the three factions can participate in open-world PvP. This works by activating an option that puts you in PvP mode. When this is active, you can attack other players and be attacked. The PvP status also grants you additional experience points.
What are fort battles? As a member of a company and at level 10, you can participate in one of the largest PvP content of New World: the “War.” In this siege battle, 2 teams of 50 players each fight against each other for control of a fort and thus for an entire territory.
If a company has taken possession of a settlement or fort, it can declare war on a company from another faction. The defenders will then set a date when the battle for the fort will take place. All players can sign up for the battle, but the leaders decide who may participate.
The actual battle is instanced, so that uninvolved players cannot influence it. For both attack and defense, siege weapons are available to players. If the attackers manage to storm the fort and capture a point within the time limit, possession of the fort transfers to them.
The video shows an initial impression of the game modes “War” and “Invasion”:
6. Here’s what you can do in the endgame of New World
What options are there in PvE endgame? First, there are also expeditions designed for the endgame. In these, you can loot rare equipment or materials that you can use in crafting. Additionally, there are boss arenas where a group of up to 5 players fights against a single boss.
Aeternum offers you some endgame areas that are only designed for players at level 60. One example is the recently introduced zone “Bruchberg”. The corrupted by the mineral Azoth have overrun the area and settled in the fortress of Düsterheim. This must be freed.
Another option for the endgame is fishing. This was introduced together with the high-level area “Reekwater Swamp.” Fishing is a standalone skill that you can improve. The activity is also comprehensively integrated into the crafting and gathering of New World. Therefore, fishing is doubly useful.
What about PvP content in the endgame of New World? Even in the endgame of New World, open-world PvP between the three factions plays a big role. Additionally, you can expect significant “player versus player” content that you unlock at level 60.
The recently announced mode “Outpost Rush” is likely to become interesting for many players. It combines elements of PvE with PvP and plays like a survival game for 40 players.
The goal of “Outpost Rush” is to capture an enemy outpost and defend your own against the opposing team. You can expand and improve your outpost by gathering resources. A well-constructed base makes it incredibly difficult for the enemy to capture it.
You can get a first impression of Outpost Rush through this video of the game mode:
7. Will New World be pay-to-win? What’s in the shop
Why is there a discussion about pay-to-win? Recently, there has been a discussion that New World would sell items in its in-game shop that would give players a certain advantage over others. In particular, there was talk of boosters for faster leveling.
The topic arose after a leak from the Alpha forums of New World. The discussion attracted so much attention that the developers addressed it, confirming the existence of such boosters. They wanted to help players with little time.
However, Amazon has since backpedaled a bit and announced that such items that could provide players with an advantage will not be included in the shop at launch but will only be available at the earliest in 2022, when players have already spent a few months in the game.
Otherwise, the shop is mainly focused on cosmetic content.
Bonus: The release of New World is approaching
When is New World coming out? The release of New World is scheduled for August 31, 2021, and the closed beta from July 20 to August 2 will be the last opportunity for a while to test the game.
If you are still unsure whether the MMORPG from Amazon is for you, you should take advantage of the closed beta to inform yourself about the game. Since there is no longer an NDA for this test, there will likely be many streamers showcasing the game.
If you want to know about the latest changes to the game before the beta, you might be interested in this article about the July update: New World brings a new update before the beta in July – changes PvP and leveling process.
