New World: Aeternum News

Steam Free Weekend

Greetings, Adventurers!

Dive in and experience the new Blunderbuss weapon, new open-world experiences & encounters, and a variety of quality of life changes recently added to New World! Starting April 7 at 10AM PT (5PM UTC), we’re hosting a Steam Free Weekend that will run through April 11 at 10AM PT. During this limited-time event, players will be able to try out New World and the recent updates we’ve made for free. New players can also save 40% on the Standard and Deluxe editions of New World when purchased between April 7 at 10AM PT and April 18 at 10AM PT (5PM UTC).

Players who join in for the Steam Free Weekend will have their progress saved and will be able to pick up where they left off when the weekend ends if they elect to buy New World. Interested in joining us? Navigate to the New World Steam page to join in and start your download on April 7!

Steam Free Weekend FAQ

How do I continue playing New World after the Free Weekend ends?
You can purchase the Standard or Deluxe editions of New World on Steam or Amazon and all your progress will be saved so you can pick up right where you left off. Both editions of the game will be 40% off between April 7 at 10AM PT and April 18 at 10AM PT (5PM UTC).

Can I purchase items from the in-game store during the Free Weekend event?
In-game purchasing will not be available until you purchase the full game (either the Standard or Deluxe edition).

What if I already have New World in my Steam library. Do I get anything for free?
While this event is primarily designed to allow and encourage new players to give New World a try, there is currently a free item available for existing players in the in-game store — the Black Bear Pelt Rug Housing Item, which is available to claim for free until April 18! We encourage existing players to tell their friends that they can try the game for free during this special weekend event. After all, New World is better with friends!

Will there be a server merge or transfer available after the free weekend if I want to join my friends on their server?
Yes, we plan to merge free servers after the Steam Free Weekend to ensure healthy world populations.

Why can’t I create a character on certain servers?
Not all servers are available for new character creation. Please either check back later or create a character on another server.

Will the character I created during the free weekend remain/be deleted after the free weekend?
Your character will still be there and you can continue playing it if you purchase New World after the free weekend.

We look forward to seeing you in the wilds of Aeternum!

New World Update 1.4.1

New World Update 1.4.1 downtime will begin at 11PM PT (6AM UTC) on April 5.

Greetings, Adventurers!
This week’s update includes a variety of bug fixes, including blockers preventing main story progression.
[h2]World Experience - Notable Fixes[/h2]

Fixed an issue with storage chests not increasing available town storage total.
Fixed an issue that was preventing completion of the "Answer the Call" Main Story Quest. Resetting the quest should now grant the item needed to complete it.

[h2]Expeditions - The Depths[/h2]
Corrected a bug that prevented players from getting quest credit for "Into the Depths" by killing Commander Thorpe. Defeating Commander Thorpe in the Expedition should now properly advance the quest.

[h2]Economy & Progression [/h2]
Fixed an issue where quest reward containers from the "Tempest's Soul" quest line was not respecting players' Expertise when awarding loot. Rewards should now be at the appropriate Expertise level.

[h2]UX, UI, & Social[/h2]

Preparation for the Steam Free Weekend.
Fixed an issue causing player achievements to load incorrectly at start of a new game session.
Fixed an issue with the Indigo Flame using an incorrect icon.
Fixed an issue causing certain Blunderbuss item types from being incorrectly listed under “Muskets” at the Trading Post.

Thanks for your support! We'll see you in Aeternum.

New World March update release time delayed

March 29, 2022 New World's March update has been delayed by a day.

The New World March update release time has been delayed. "After testing we have decided to hold on releasing the Heart of Madness update until Wednesday morning (March 30)," Amazon says in a tweet. "This delay is caused by a bug found late and needs to be fixed before releasing the update. Thank you for your patience and understanding!"

Downtime for the March update was originally scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 29 at 5am PDT / 8am EDT / 1pm BST across all regions. Downtime was expected to last "approximately" two hours, which would've put the New World March update release time around 7am PDT / 10am EDT / 3pm BST on March 29. Expect a new set of timings to be revealed soon.

Heart of Madness brings an end to the main story questline, including a showdown with antagonist Isabella. The new five-player expedition, Tempest's Heart, is built for level 60 and a gear score between 550 and 570. We're also getting a new blunderbuss weapon, plus a host of new additions to make the world feel more alive. You can see the full list of changes over on the official site.

Read the rest of the story...

Heart of Madness Update

New World's Heart of Madness Update downtime will begin for all regions at 5AM PT (12PM UTC) on March 30. Expected downtime is 2 hours.

Greetings, Adventurers!
The Heart of Madness Update will be moving from the PTR and releasing into the main New World game. You can find the full release notes on our dedicated release page, including new open world experiences, balance changes, game mode adjustments, and more changes as a direct result of our PTR tests and player feedback.

If you haven't heard already, these are some of the key additions arriving in Heart of Madness.

[h3]Main Storyline Finale Quest & Tempest’s Heart Expedition[/h3]

The main story questline picks up as you pursue Isabella back to Shattered Mountain. The final quest, The Heart of the Tempest, is given by Yseult Meredith, located at Mountain Home Outpost in Shattered Mountain. Additional repeatable quests can be taken from Mara Rosa, in the cathedral just south of the Expedition entrance.

The final showdown against Isabella has arrived, as you delve deep into the Tempest’s Heart Expedition. Pursue the Tempest into a corrupted dimension of reality, through the twisted capital city of Myrkgard. Discover the secrets of her past while you dive deeper into her corrupted mind.

The Tempest’s Heart is an endgame expedition for 5 players. Recommended for level 60 players with Gearscores between 550 and 570.

[h3]New Weapon: Blunderbuss[/h3]

The Blunderbuss is a ranged weapon that offers high-mobility coupled with potent close-to-mid range damage. It’s the first weapon to scale on strength and intelligence, making it a good companion for bruiser or mage builds. Adventurers will be able to progress through two weapon mastery trees, allowing the player to choose between two distinct playstyles.

The Containment tree is all about closing the gap and unloading hot lead into your enemy’s face.
Conversely, the Chaos tree focuses on keeping your distance and bombarding areas with explosive AoE damage.

Alongside the release of the Blunderbuss weapon itself, we’re also releasing a new Legendary Weapon Quest series. Upon reaching Level 60 and the maximum skill level with the new firearm, players should seek out Wang Tang Zhi in Ebonscale Reach settlement to start this epic endeavor.

Thanks for your support! We look forward to hearing of your adventures into the Tempest's Heart.

New World roadmap details every planned update for 2022

The New World roadmap for 2022 has arrived, offering a broad overview of what we can expect from Amazon's MMORPG through the remainder of the year. It's about time, too, as after the game's record-shattering Steam launch, player counts have dwindled to a fraction of their initial heights.

Much of the 'spring' section of the roadmap concerns the March update, which is already available for testing on the PTR. If you haven't been watching closely, the March update adds the Tempest's Heart expedition, concluding the initial main storyline arc, and adds a new blunderbuss weapon type. The early game is also getting smoothed out, with improvements to storytelling and quest objectives in the main quests, and additional options for players who want to see the story content entirely solo.

Throughout the year, the devs promise "new mutators, quests, encounters, ongoing improvements, balance tuning, and bug fixing". Spring will also bring us 3v3 PvP arenas and a new PvP reward track. In summer, we'll see a new expedition called Barnacles and Black Powder, a group finder for expeditions, and a new summer event.

Read the rest of the story...