The MMORPG New World from Amazon’s own studio was an absolute hit at launch. Only gradually did players realize how much was still missing to become a genre giant. However, one thing was perfect in this MMORPG, according to MeinMMO author Nico.
What was perfect about New World? Amazon Games didn’t rely on large servers but on a limited player count of 2,000. This turned the servers into something like a small town where almost everyone knows each other. New World perfectly implemented the core idea of an MMO, leading to new friendships but also a lot of drama.
Especially the division of the server into three factions contributed to the existence of rival companies and factions. Companies could claim different areas and thus influence all taxes through trade, crafting, and other revenue sources. This allowed certain communities to accumulate a pile of gold early on.
Particularly the areas in the center of the map, Everfall and Windsward, were popular destinations. They became hotspots for most players and could amass wealth that others could only dream of.
The atmospheric trailer for New World Aeternum:
War of the Bugs
In New World, it was possible to build influence in an area through PvP quests and then declare war on it with your company. If you won the war, the area belonged to you and you would collect the taxes.
Before most players had the strongest items and builds, there was a company on our server that occupied both important cities, Everfall and Windsward. Winning a war was considered a miracle as this company had much better armor and weapons.
The first major known bug was part of the Ice Gauntlet. A magic weapon with which you can cast ice spells like Blizzard. The trick involved placing multiple Blizzards on a targeted spot. This caused the entire instance of the war to crash, making it impossible for the attackers to win.
After the aforementioned company exploited this bug multiple times to avoid losing the two important areas, they became the arch-nemesis of the server: the “Empire of New World”, so to speak.
The Return of the King
While the “Empire” was on the rise, there were wild discussions in Discord about how to overthrow it. One player was very engaged from the start to deal with the politics and events on our server. “The King” wanted everything to go the way he preferred.
After we did not share his views, he secretly made a deal with the Empire. Areas were exchanged between his company and the Empire, allowing the King to present himself as a great conqueror and vanquisher.
When this came to light, he was banned from Discord. Most players fled from his company. This topic was present in global chat for weeks, besides pictures of sausages. Due to the betrayal of the King, the Discord admins became more cautious and accused many new players of being spies for the Empire.
We didn’t see the King again for months when he came back to our server under a new name and asked specific questions about himself while bragging about how great he was.
This week, you can expect exciting articles daily about MMORPGs. Included: a journey through the history of online role-playing games, nostalgic retrospectives, streaming nights, interviews, columns, and analyses.
You can find the program for the big MMORPG theme week 2025 from MeinMMO here.
New World was a special MMORPG experience
On the first glance, New World did a lot right, but when you look at the endgame at release, you realize there wasn’t much. Beyond running from chest to chest to increase your gear score, there were only two dungeons, PvP, and interpersonal interactions.
But it wasn’t just drama that was on the agenda on the servers, but also beautiful moments. Daily trips to certain monsters to get the best gear for crafters, or just spending time in your favorite city with your friends and company… such things attracted players to the servers day after day.
Through New World, I got to know many great people with whom I still stay in contact today and travel through the rift of League of Legends or other MMORPGs. My time with New World was one of the most beautiful MMORPG experiences I’ve had, and despite its flaws, it reminded me why I love this genre so much.
Feel free to share your own experiences from MMORPGs in the comments and what kind of drama you experienced or if you made lifelong friends.
After New World struggled to attract new players with Season 7, the developers hope that with the new Season 8 and some changes, more players will find their way back to Aeternum: The MMORPG from Amazon disappointed with the last season, is now mimicking WoW to get more people to log in
