When New World was released in September 2021, it attracted huge crowds of players. However, the initial hype quickly faded. Now, a major update has breathed new life into the MMORPG. MeinMMO author Nicole also took a look – and since then, she accidentally plays nothing else.
The announcement of New World with its open world, dark fantasy setting, and stylish graphics immediately grabbed my attention back then. I was really eager to try out the MMORPG.
Other representatives of the genre just never managed to fully engage me: World of Warcraft felt too outdated visually, The Elder Scrolls Online looked better but didn’t hold my interest for long. My highlight there was fishing, and that probably says it all about my connection to TESO.
In September 2021, it finally happened: New World celebrated its launch, over 913,000 players started into the MMORPG (according to SteamDB), and eventually, I also arrived in the game after spending some hours minutes in character creation.
Exhaustingly long travel times, slow content, yawn
Wandering aimlessly through the open world, I completed quests, collected resources, and ran … well, I ran a lot. Because: Back then, there were no mounts. I managed to accumulate about 155 play hours, but New World and I had no future together.
At least not at that time. And out of those 155 hours, I probably spent a good 55 hours on the endless paths of the map, hoping for a little speed boost.
The content eventually simply bored me. Although there are various areas with increasing difficulty levels – including quests, small and large storylines, and new resources. But the eternal loop of leveling up, questing, new area, leveling up again, and questing became monotonous quickly.
And on top of that, these travel times. Every quest involved a lot of planning. Should I really take this long journey to walk into this area? What could I accomplish along the way to make it worthwhile? And why am I doing all of this anyway? Eventually, the air was out. Many others felt similarly and the player numbers of New World dropped rapidly.
The announcement of Season 10 in New World made me quite curious:
Many changes, Season 10, and a horse brought me back
What happened then? Well, sometimes there is indeed a second chance. And “blame” goes to my colleague Karsten, who piqued my curiosity with his list of 5 MMORPGs that you can also play in 2025 if you have little time.
Shortly after, I read about the big update for Season 10, and just the new area with werewolves, vampires, and eerie regions that thematically fit Halloween perfectly made me curious. I had also already heard that there are finally mounts.
So I started anew, created a fresh character, chose the Occultist as my archetype this time, with a fire staff as my primary weapon and … I was already quite overwhelmed again.
The map feels livelier than ever before
The difference from before is that there are plenty of players who have a lot of knowledge about the mechanics, the locations, quests, and crafting. In the global chat, you get an answer to almost every question, and companies regularly seek new members. Individual players offer support via direct message. You can tell: Players are knowledgeable and eager to help, especially newcomers and returners.
There is a lot happening in the cities, with people playing instruments everywhere. And the events in the open world are well attended. This makes the world feel very lively and colorful overall. And I have a strong desire to just go with the flow.
In the game, I initially clicked through the menu. Suddenly, there was a completely new section named “Season.” At the start of New World, there were no seasons; they were only introduced in March 2023, about a year and a half later (via New World Wiki). This means specifically: Every three months there are new content, rewards, and quests.
There is thus finally a lot to do, plus loot that I can earn if I play actively and a lot. And that even if I have no desire for PvP or group content. Exactly what I wish for in such a game.
By the way, what New World has been doing right from the beginning is the sound design. Whether in combat or while chopping wood: Everything sounds rich, authentic, and simply good. The rewarding sound when completing quests provides an additional dopamine boost.
The music is also a highlight. It atmospherically accompanies players through Aeternum without being intrusive. I spent countless hours just wandering through the landscapes, gathering resources and listening to the music. In total, I played around 45 hours in 5 days. And I am quite sure that this time it will not stop there.
The best time for New World is now
If you are like me and have lost sight of the game back then: Give it a second chance. If you already own New World, only a download stands between you and a fresh adventure in Aeternum. The world not only looks beautiful with its different regions, but it also feels livelier than ever before.
The DLC that normally costs around 30 euros, is now included with the main game – and thus also the mounts. So you are not (anymore) plagued by the terrible travel times, but can explore the map comfortably on a mount. In addition to fresh, seasonal content, there is currently also a Halloween event. You have until October 26 to earn spooky rewards.
New World is currently doing a lot of things right. The player numbers are rising, there are queues on the servers, and the community is positively discussing new content. MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz analyzes the sudden rebirth of Amazon Games’ MMORPG: New World turns things around after difficult years and delights its community – the reason is quite simple
