The world of MMORPGs has been dominated by certain franchises like World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and Elder Scrolls for years – or in some cases, decades – and it's hard for newer titles to break in. Not all players are into MMOs, and the ones that are might be too invested in what they already play to consider branching out. Still, that doesn't stop new games like Amazon's New World from trying to take on the MMO giants. Released in September 2021, New World was Amazon's attempt to overturn its previously lackluster fortunes in the gaming sphere. Despite a successful launch, numbers seem to have dropped fairly quickly over the following months.
With some ups and downs since launch, New World still managed to become one of the top games played on Steam during 2021 and also received a Best Multiplayer Game nomination at The Game Awards in the same year. Now, at the start of 2022, New World seems to have found its feet and established its playerbase. However, that doesn't mean that it's free from problems. As more players reach the game's level 60 cap and start to move into the endgame, some concerns have started to arise among gamers that PvP might not all be as straightforward and accessible as most would like.
Explaining New World's Endgame
Alongside the more traditional elements of an MMORPG – crafting, questing, and leveling up characters – New World has a pretty interesting guild system that is fairly unique. Replacing the classic guild structure with Companies that players must choose, gamers align themselves with three main factions called Syndicate, Covenant, and Marauders. Depending on their faction, players will be able to choose different Companies and will have access to various faction-specific perks. As well as social elements, factions and Companies serve a larger purpose – territory control. Companies are able to claim territories by competing in massive 50v50 wars, with the victors taking over one of New World's 15 areas for as long as they can hold it.
This chaotic and engaging back and forth between warring groups is a major factor in New World's gameplay and serves as a tool for players to help shape the landscape and feel as if they're truly having an impact on the mythical Aeternum Island. Once players have made their way through the various quests and leveled their character up sufficiently, the PvP aspects of New World are a large part of what sustains them as they move into the endgame content. The stakes are high, and working together with other Companies within the players' factions provides a fundamental and measurable way for players to control their environments and craft the gaming experience with their own hands.
Why Players Are Concerned
While the PvP elements of New World are a popular and interesting mechanic, they're not as inclusive as players might hope. A 50v50 War Mode may seem like a large-scale and thrilling battle, but not when players consider how many of them there are in the game as a whole. Also, although New World contains 15 territories, only 11 can be fought over for control. Joining a war isn't that easy, either. Despite being one of New World's biggest endgame features, War Mode is only accessible if the leadership of a Company grants players a place in the 50-person group and doesn't remove them after they sign up.
Not only do players have to be favored by their Companies' leadership to take part in the all-important Wars, but they also have to be at the right level and go through all the trials and challenges of leveling up their characters. Once they have, there's not even a guarantee that they will be able to take part in one of the largest and most enjoyable aspects of New World's PvP endgame content. With only 50 players per Company in a server able to take part at a time, this all combines to make an incredibly exclusionary and elitist system that many, many New World players won't be able to access. Not only is this not a fair or equitable arrangement, but it also removes the incentive for a large number of players to stick with the game and make it all the way up to the endgame.
It doesn't seem like there is an immediate fix for this issue, and the fact that players won't even know how restrictive it is until they've already put in the hours to get there has created a sour taste in the mouth of many of those on New World's servers. Of course, there are other elements to New World's endgame, like the 20v20 PvPvE Outpost Rush which unlocks after reaching the level cap of 60. There are new weapons, bosses, and expeditions, too, but considering how a large portion of the game's focus is on territory capture and the success of Companies and factions, players find it incredibly frustrating that this aspect is so limited and exclusive.
New World is available now on PC.