The new MMORPG New World has already caught attention due to one or two bugs. However, a new bug is so bizarre that it has caused quite a stir. But it’s not only funny; it’s also dangerous. We at MeinMMO summarize.
Update 11:40 AM: Amazon responded faster than expected to the new HTML bug and seems to have already fixed it. A developer writes in the forum: “We have deployed a fix that should prevent players from exploiting this bug”.
What happened in New World? A new bug is making waves in Amazon’s MMORPG. It’s not the first game error that causes a stir in the community, but certainly one of the funniest, at least at first glance.
Besides the new bug, there are also reports on reddit that an old bug has returned due to the last patch and is once again causing wars to be manipulated.
It seems possible again to become invulnerable by exploiting the window mode. If you move your window around exactly while your character is in the middle of a dodge roll, thus invulnerable, it remains so for a while.
This annoys many players, as it makes winning wars much easier. Players stand invulnerable at the points to be defended, thus holding their territory without actually being there.
However, the new bug could have far worse consequences than just lost wars, even if it seems pretty funny at first glance. There’s more to it than just funny sausages and nuts on players’ screens.
YouTuber Josh Strife Hayes explains and demonstrates the bug in the video:
What’s going on with the new bug? YouTuber Josh Strife Hayes brings attention to the new error in a YouTube video. In response, another YouTuber named Callum Upton explains the technical side of the bug and why it’s not just funny.
Basically, it’s about the fact that simple HTML code can be inserted into the chat of New World. Users take advantage of the MMORPG’s ability to link certain items in chat.
With the mentioned HTML code, it’s possible to alter the linked items. For example, it’s particularly easy to significantly enlarge the displayed image of the item.
This leads to some servers’ chats currently being spammed with huge sausages and nuts almost non-stop. Also popular are massive yellow boxes with the content “no image found,” which can be created just as easily and can take on oversized dimensions.
“This bug is absolutely game-breaking”
The downside of the bug: So far, so funny, many may think. But it doesn’t stop at the big sausages and nuts. We do not want to explain exactly how to reproduce the bug at this point, but we want to draw attention to it nonetheless.
If one knows a bit more about HTML, the ability to use HTML codes in chat can be exploited in almost absurd ways. One variant that is already widely used is to manipulate the posted item so that it doesn’t exist in the game at all.
This leads to your game constantly attempting to fetch information that simply doesn’t exist. As a reaction, your game freezes and crashes. Upon the next start, Steam performs a file check again, which takes time.
To trigger this reaction, it is sufficient to hover your mouse over such a manipulated item. This is not only dangerous in the global chat but can also intentionally target people in whisper messages.
Suddenly the bug is much less funny and very disruptive. However, one can essentially circumvent it by disabling the entire chat. Then you have at least extricated yourself from the affair, but the bug remains dangerous.
Why the bug can also be globally dangerous: Again, we do not want to elaborate on how exactly this bug can be exploited, as it could significantly affect the economy of individual servers.
Now, it will get a bit more technically complicated, but we will attempt to simplify the process behind it. There are certain quests that you do not have to submit anywhere and do not have to be anywhere to complete them.
When you complete these quests, your game sends a signal to the server that essentially says, “I’ve completed the quest,” and the server replies, “okay,” and grants you the reward.
However, it is currently possible to send exactly this signal through manipulated chat links. This results in you completing the quest every time you hover over the manipulated item and thus racking up coins and other rewards. And yes, it actually works.
How Amazon is responding: The bug has already been extensively discussed in the New World forum and reported to Amazon. A community manager from Amazon then responds and writes: “Yes, we are aware of this bug and we are currently working to find out how we can fix it. However, we cannot yet say when that will happen.”
It remains to be seen how and when Amazon will address this issue. YouTuber Callum Upton concludes his video by saying he offers Amazon his help at any time to solve the problems, as they are “absolutely game-breaking”.
The community is so stunned that they can only laugh
How is the community reacting? In the forum and on reddit, opinions are divided. Some players are angry that such errors are still happening and label them as amateur mistakes. Callum Upton also says in his video that the programmers need to “go back to programming school”.
Overall, there is disbelief that such errors are still present after over a month in the game. It’s unclear whether the chat bug is new or has only just been noticed.
Players who no longer want to be angry are making fun of the errors and laughing. The mood is therefore rather positive on reddit, albeit filled with gallows humor.
What are the players saying? On reddit, fans are mostly just laughing at the errors of New World (via reddit):
- User Pepe2Sad simply writes: “Oh boy, here we go again”
- 136 likes user DopeDoge gets for the comment: “It has been 0 days since the last incident.” (via YouTube)
- User ElDuderino2112 also takes it humorously: “Honestly? The 40 euros for a front-row seat to watch how completely broken this game is, is the best money I’ve ever spent.”
- User Alkrun is cracking up: “Oh man, I didn’t realize it was actually because of that. That’s super funny and just as dumb. I really do like New World, but this is a great example of how to botch the launch of a game. It’s like they saw the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 and said, ‘Hold my beer!’”
What do you think of the bug in New World? Are you still angry or are you, like reddit, just laughing? Have you encountered the bug in the game? Feel free to tell us in the comments here at MeinMMO.
Just yesterday, there was a bug in New World that steals your money when you’re offline.
