Shortly after things looked good again for New World, Amazon decided to pull the plug on the MMORPG. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus had just started playing again a few days prior and still plays daily, because it doesn’t feel like a dying game.
At first, I thought it was a joke or some clowns trolling in the chat when I read that Amazon is ceasing development on New World. The news came less than 3 days after I had finally started playing again.
Back at release in 2021, I put over 280 hours into the game, though admittedly many of those were spent in the long login queues. Now with Season 10 and many celebrated improvements, I wanted to check back in.
For 2 weeks during my vacation, the game completely absorbed me. I had as much fun as I haven’t had in a long time, completed the entire story, and accomplished more endgame and group content than ever before in New World. I was even active in PvP.
And I’m still eager to log in – not only because I haven’t finished achieving everything I set out to do, but also because the community feels as vibrant as ever. Just friendlier.
“Family Company Recruiting”
For a “dead game”, there’s an incredible amount of activity in New World. Not only are dozens of players still standing in the towns, crafting, playing music, or trading, but there’s also a lot of talking. The main topic is, of course, often the game’s end.
In the chats, people discuss which company might take over the game to keep it alive, what alternatives exist, or how long the servers might still run. There are even petitions to save New World. And more importantly: People want to play. Actively, with others, and as much as possible.
Whenever I’m out and about, in the global chat and recruitment channels, there are Gildens (or Companies) looking for new members at all times – surprisingly often even specifically German-speaking.
The recruiters often advertise directly that they want to make the most of the remaining time. Instead of looking sadly at what will pass, everyone just wants to play what they still have. In a way, New World feels even more alive than World of Warcraft, where the chats are usually filled with trade spam or off-topic discussions.
The Great Exodus Brings Unexpected Advantages
Moreover, the news of the end apparently caused many people to leave. The graph on steamcharts illustrates this very clearly: On October 14, the player count rose from about 10,000 to over 40,000 and New World maintained that level for exactly 2 weeks. On October 28, they then suddenly dropped back to the old value of 10,000, even slightly below.
However, it seems that primarily the annoying players have left. The obligatory: “Haha, you fools are all playing a dead game, XY is so much better” posts and questionable comments about others’ mothers (after a smack in PvP) still exist, but less.
Instead, players are constructively discussing the future, giving tips on builds or farm spots, and looking for groups for dungeons or the ongoing Halloween event. I would wish for such chat discipline in every MMO.
Of course, it has become somewhat more difficult to find certain groups, at least at times when most people still have to work. However, there are no massive login queues after work anymore – if you want to play, you can now just play.
New World is Now Much Better Than at Release
The MMORPG has truly come into its own. The core of the game remains: an engaging action combat system and crafting with a free, player-driven economy. Of course, there’s also housing and the guild system with the struggle for control over the territories. However, there have been a ton of improvements compared to back then, including:
- Mounts that make travel much more pleasant
- A better trading system, in which auction houses now connect all towns instead of being locally limited
- Solo dungeons and an improved LFG tool
- Swimming!
- And countless other changes introduced with the relaunch of Aeternum
Additionally, leveling to level 60 (max level is 70) is now significantly faster. With just the main quest, you are almost always a few levels above the current area. On the one hand, this is great for experiencing the endgame and the story, but on the other hand, side quests with their stories in the areas are getting lost, and crafting loses some of its value. You find new equipment so quickly that crafting is not worth it for long.
Nevertheless, I absolutely cannot understand why Amazon gave up on New World exactly now, and many others feel the same way. Fortunately, it seems only Amazon has decided so far that New World is really dead – because the players are still active. This is even evident among you: Most players have given up on New World – But 29% of you have pledged to stay
