New World: Aeternum News

Greetings, Adventurers!

Happy holidays and season’s greetings to everyone. As we put a bow on 2023, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year and look ahead to what’s next. This year, New World celebrated its second birthday. It has been an amazing journey building this game together with you, thanks to your continued feedback and enthusiasm, but the journey is far from over. There is more we want to improve upon and even more we want to add.

This year we introduced Seasons, a dependable cadence of major content drops, each with new reasons to revisit Aeternum like the seasonal progression system and Reward Track. I especially enjoyed chasing Materia to gear up faster in Season 3, plus the fun banter between Zander and Dog as you meet the Silver Crows. It has been a nice break from the more serious tone of the main story.

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We also launched our first paid expansion, Rise of the Angry Earth. The take over of First Light and conversion to Elysian Wilds featured a new chapter in the story of the Eternal Isle, a variety of new enemies, and unique points of interest. The expansion also introduced one of our most highly requested features, mounts. Our mount fidelity, animation, and control all came together to deliver a wonderful mount experience that we will continue to build on in future updates. In addition, Artifacts, the Gear Score increase, and the revamped gear system have all improved and streamlined the end-game experience.

Our latest season, Eternal Frost, just went live. We’re excited for players to experience some of our best stories and quests yet. I personally love the chess quest. Beyond the seasonal narrative, players can finally confront Ser Loth from the Empyrean Forge storyline in the new Glacial Tarn Expedition. There are also new Artifacts that will shake up the meta and give our build theory-crafters hours of fun. Lastly, the Winter Convergence Festival is probably Whisker’s and my favorite event of the year. Based on your feedback, we’ve really pushed the new rewards to be as satisfying as the event.

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Live games are always growing and changing. With that we sometimes introduce errors. We’ve done our best to be as responsive and communicative as possible when that does happen. But we know there is more work to do. We want to shift more of our focus toward bug and performance improvements to make New World an even more desirable experience for every type of Adventurer.

Thank you all again for being a part of our community and choosing to spend your time adventuring with us in Aeternum. We’re committed to continuing this journey, listening, and improving the game.

Happy Holidays!
Scot Lane, Game Director

[h2]2023 YEAR IN REVIEW[/h2]
Check out some notable stats from this year. Data taken from January 1, 2023 through November 28, 2023.
[h3]SEASONS[/h3]

• Total Seasonal Challenges completed: 1,094,841
  
• Total Stamps used: 1,157,468
  
• Total times Mounts fed: 3,329,294
  

[h3]EXPEDITIONS[/h3]

• Deadliest Expedition Boss: On March 26, 2023, Alluvium Marl, the Caretaker, from Garden of Genesis eliminated 188 players in a single Expedition instance
  
• Overall in 2023, Alluvium Marl, the Caretaker eliminated 3,122,854 players, followed by Commander Marius from Empyrean Forge with 1,223,672 player kills.
  
• Total Expedition runs: 5,887,977
  
• Most popular Expedition: Garden of Genesis with 1,825,590 runs
  

[h3]MOST CONTESTED SETTLEMENT
[/h3]Invasions:

• Monarch’s Bluffs
  
• Weaver’s Fen
  

Wars

• Restless Shore
  
• Monarch’s Bluffs
  

[h3]NIGHTVEIL HALLOW[/h3]

• Total Costumes awarded in Nightveil Hallow: 631,132
  
• 102,500 distinct characters wore at least one of the costumes below during Nightveil Hallow:
  
• Lost Monarch: 164, 216 acquired
  
• Commander Thorpe: 157,446 acquired
  
• Anubian Reaver: 158,159 acquired
  
• Adiana: 151,311 acquired
  

[h3]SUMMER MEDLEYFAIRE[/h3]

• Total number of characters who achieved ‘YAAAHHHH! Guitar’ achievement: 66,833
  
• Total number of players who achieved the ‘Perfect YAAAHHHH!’ title on hard difficulty: 4,618
  

[h3]HATCHERY[/h3]

• Total waves completed: 3,798,595
  
• Total completions: 725,291
  
• Number of Deaths: 842,886
  

[h3]SANDWURM[/h3]

• Most attempts before the Sandwurm was toppled in a single instance: 18
  

[h3]POPULAR HEARTRUNES BASED ON ACTIVATIONS[/h3]

1. Detonate: 73,882,691
   
2. Grasping Vines: 50,855,513
   
3. Cannon Blast: 19.243,684
   
4. Fire Storm: 18,044,937
   
5. Dark Ascent: 7,812,959
   

[h3]POPULAR SKINS[/h3]

1. Stormbound
   
2. Voidtouched Armor
   
3. Dancing Embers
   
4. Verdant Dawn’s Sentinel
   
5. Silverswept Guardian
   
6. Forge Warden
   

[h3]MOST POPULAR TRADE SKILLS[/h3]

1. Cooking
   
2. Weaponsmithing
   
3. Engineering
   
4. Armoring
   
5. Arcana
   
6. Jewelcrafting
   
7. Furnishing
   

[h2]AMAZON GIFT CARD AND HOLIDAY SWEATER[/h2]

Share the spirit of Winter Convergence this holiday season. A New World Amazon.com gift card and holiday sweater are available now. We hope you take time to not only celebrate with us, but with your favorite Adventurers outside of Aeternum.

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The time of the Winter Convergence is near. Where the sky lights up in brilliant colors, mysterious rocks fall to the ground, and people spread presents and cheer across the island. But alas, this is also when dark creatures and wicked spirits of the season look to bring an Eternal Winter upon all of Aeternum, encasing everything in ice and snow.

Would you like to know more about Winter Convergence? Sit for a while, and let me tell you about it!

Our story starts, of course, in the land of Aeternum. A mysterious island where travelers from many different times and places find themselves having to make a new life. These people often wash up on shore with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and thus the only thing many of them keep close are the memories and traditions from wherever they called home.


And there are few traditions across the world that are more important than the winter festivals. These go by many names throughout the world, but they share many things in common. They are a time for celebration and gathering. A time for feasting and decorations. And most of all, a time to put aside grudges and to spread gifts of merriment to all of your neighbors. And while every celebration is a bit different, the people of Aeternum have come to call this time of cheer the Winter Convergence.

Let’s take a trip down to Aeternum and watch the people prepare for the festivities.

Here we are in Corinth, at the beginning of the season. The people of the village prepare for the winter, getting their food packed and their supplies put away for the coming cold. But they also know that the Winter Convergence is soon, and so too are they readying their decorations, their recipes, and their gifts for the celebration. They’ll start lighting the hearths and keeping watch on the hills, doing all they must to keep the spirits of the Eternal Winter from reaching their doorstep. They’ll begin putting up streamers in the streets, wreaths and twinkling candles on their homes, and make way into the town square for the centerpiece of the festival, the Tree of Light.


And each night, they’ll look into the sky, waiting for the brilliant ribbons of light that are the hallmark of the Winter Convergence. They’ll wait eagerly for the glowing streams to wink into existence, for they know that with the ribbons comes the Gleamite.

And what is Gleamite, you might ask?

Well, no one really knows. But the people of Aeternum do know that it falls with the winter lights, coming down in small showers across the island. The spectacle of a Gleamite shower is one of the highlights of the Winter Convergence, with some sitting high on the cliffs scanning the landscape to see the twinkling of the Gleamite as they fall to the ground. The Gleamite doesn’t last long, and like the snows of the season, it seems to melt away when the season is done. But the ephemeral nature of this glistening rock makes it a true spectacle of the season.

But it isn’t all cheer and glee now, is it?


No, for out there, lurking in the wilds of the island is the Winter Warrior, looking for wayward travelers and adventurers. The Warrior is a terrible sight to behold, a dark shadow in an otherwise festive season of lights. Underneath the merriment and feasts is a steady unease, as the Eternal Winter threatens to overtake the island and turn it into a land of perpetual frost.

Throughout the Winter Convergence celebrations, groups of adventurers will journey out to hunt and challenge the Winter Warrior, both as a way to prevent the Eternal Winter, but also to prove their might in battle. While defeating the Winter Warrior is no easy task, it is a good omen for the festivities, and the adventurers are given an opportunity to acquire gifts and trophies to show off their accomplishments. That is if they are lucky enough to survive.


I guess what I really wanted to share with you – the reason for the story – is because of the end. I’ll just cut to the chase. During Winter Convergence, nothing makes me happier than to see you, your friends, strangers all over the world running around Aeternum. I guess that’s what the convergence is, isn’t it?

It’s many things to many people. It is a coming together of people and traditions, all joining hand-in-hand to create something unique and memorable to the people of a lost island. For a brief time, at least, people can find hope and joy, and maybe come together to celebrate the past year while looking forward to the one on the horizon.

I hope you take time to not only celebrate with us, but with your family and friends. And I look forward to seeing you all at the Winter Convergence!

Greetings, Adventurers!

Eternal Frost downtime will begin for all regions at 5AM PT (1PM UTC) on December 13. Expected downtime is 2 hours. Conquer the Glacial Tarn Expedition, celebrate Winter Convergence, and stop a Knight of the Round Table. You can also look forward to new Artifacts. Cross World Expeditions will go live alongside an improved Group Finder later in the season. Check out the release notes for specific changes coming to our latest season.

[h2]MAJOR UPDATES
[/h2]The Glacial Tarn Expedition, seasonal narrative, new Artifacts, some Journey tasks, and a few of the Challenges will all require Rise of the Angry Earth to experience.

[h3]NEW SEASON STORY[/h3]

A Knight of the Round Table has unearthed forbidden knowledge of the Ancients, seeking to subjugate humanity with the power of an eternal winter. Rally your team of Silver Crows, and convince a surly fire mage named Daichi to help track down and vanquish the Knight before he lays waste to Aeternum.

[h3]NEW SEASON PASS[/h3]

Eternal Frost introduces a new Season Journey, new Activity Card, new Challenges, and new rewards including cosmetics and consumables.

[h3]NEW EXPEDITION: THE GLACIAL TARN[/h3]

The Glacial Tarn is a new Level 65 Expedition set in the Great Cleave. Explore a cavernous frozen complex hidden beyond the Empyrean Forge in pursuit of the Varangian Knight Ser Loth. Locate and harness the primordial magic of the Empyrean Flame to overcome enemies and obstacles imbued with Ice Magic, and destroy Ser Loth before his power consumes all of Aeternum.

[h3]NEW ARTIFACTS[/h3]

Find and equip 8 new Artifacts to redefine your playstyle. These powerful weapons and armor feature their own quests. Boost your speed and reduce cooldowns with the Winged Shoes, freeze and finish your enemies with The Frozen Gauntlet, and more.

[h2]FUTURE UPDATES[/h2]
The following feature will release later in the season:

[h3]CROSS WORLD EXPEDITIONS WITH IMPROVED GROUP FINDER[/h3]

Team up with players from any world within a region to overcome challenges within the depths of Aeternum. The new, one-click Group Finder will automatically assemble a role-balanced, cross-world group—no more lobby management required!

[h2]SEASONAL EVENTS[/h2]
[h3]WINTER CONVERGENCE FESTIVAL[/h3]
Holiday cheer spreads across Aeternum once more as Winter Convergence blankets the Eternal Isle through January 9, 2024. This year’s festival features changes to Winter Village Gifts, Gleamite Meteors, and rewards based on player feedback. You can also purchase new and returning items in the Event Shop.

The Winter Warrior and his legion of Frigid Folk are on a relentless mission to spread a Forever Winter across the land. Rally a party of 20+ players to defeat this open-world boss wreaking havoc throughout Great Cleave, Brightwood, Edengrove, Ebonscale Reach, and Brimstone Sands for new seasonal rewards.

[h3]YEAR OF THE DRAGON[/h3]
Before corruption plagued the ancient structures, citizens of Ebonscale Reach used to bring tributes to sacred places in hopes for fortune and blessings. Team up with other adventurers and awaken the ancient dragon spirit once again for unique, daily rewards!

[h2]RONIN’S SHADOW STORE SHOWCASE[/h2]
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In a ravage and uncertain place like Aeternum, it is rare to find one fully committed to honor and loyalty. If you walk the warrior’s path, visit the Store for new Ronin’s Shadow items. Which skins and emotes will you add to your collection?

[h3]SCARLET-MASKED SOLDIER TWITCH DROP[/h3]
Celebrate the launch of Eternal Frost with the Scarlet-Masked Twitch Drop. This Drop contains 5 skins: Scarlet-Masked Soldier's Menpo, Scarlet-Masked Soldier's Cuirass, Scarlet-Masked Soldier’s Kote, Scarlet-Masked Soldier’s Kusazuri, and Scarlet-Masked Soldier’s Kusari Tabi. It will become available for Twitch viewers alongside the Eternal Frost. Tune into your favorite New World content creator with Drops enabled before January 10, 2024 to claim yours!

“It could be anyone behind the mask. One supposes that is the point.”

To claim the first item, viewers will need to accumulate 2 hours of watch time on a New World Twitch Channel with Drops enabled. The skins will be claimable in the following order:

• Scarlet-Masked Soldier's Menpo (2 total hours watched)
  
• Scarlet-Masked Soldier's Cuirass (4 total hours watched)
  
• Scarlet-Masked Soldier’s Kote (6 total hours watched)
  
• Scarlet-Masked Soldier’s Kusazuri (8 total hours watched)
  
• Scarlet-Masked Soldier’s Kusari Tabi (10 total hours watched)
  

If you haven’t done so already, make sure your Twitch account is linked to your Amazon Games and Steam accounts. You can find the steps you need to follow on our Twitch Drops page. This Drop is available for all content creators to enable in the New World category. Twitch Drops can only be claimed once per account.

[h2]LOCALIZED VO SUPPORT UPDATE[/h2]
To better focus our resources on future updates, narrative content moving forward will no longer receive localized VO Support for Italian, LATAM Spanish, and Polish. Text and subtitles will remain localized in all languages.

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

Greetings, Adventurers!

‘Twas the night before Winter Convergence, booming Gleamite Meteors dance across the sky. The whimsical Winter Wanderer armed with holiday cheer gracefully descends upon Aeternum. Offering joy to all, the jolly, young gentleman adorns Winter Villages with Gifts, Trees of Light, and Holiday Huts.

But the wicked Winter Warrior donned in malice rises carelessly from the darkest caverns of the Eternal Isle. Snatching the warmth of the holiday, Frigid Folk, a Forever Winter, and misery lurk behind the cruel, old brute. Help the Winter Wanderer fight back against the bitter chill of the icy scourge for new event-specific rewards.

Holiday cheer spreads across Aeternum once more as Winter Convergence blankets the Eternal Isle on December 12, 2023 through January 9, 2024. This year’s festival features changes to Winter Village Gifts, Gleamite Meteors, and rewards based on player feedback. You can also purchase new and returning items in the Event Shop.

[h2]REWARDS[/h2]
Here’s how the Development Team made Winter Convergence Festival rewards even more satisfying.

[h3]GIFT PILES AND GIFT SACKS[/h3]

We wanted to cut down on the number of Winter Villages players felt like they had to visit for meaningful rewards, so we upped the amount of gifts for both Gift Piles and Gift Sacks.

• Each Gift Pile will now include 4 presents (previously 1) per player, but players may only interact with 3 Trees of Light daily. Gift piles will also include 2 White Gypsum and 1 random holiday food.
  
• Each Gift Sack will now provide 3 presents (previously 1) on the first interaction, but players may only interact with 1 Gift Sack daily. Gift sacks will also include 1 random holiday food.
  

Items marked with daily limits will reset at 5 AM local time. For example, if a player interacts with their third Tree of Light at 4:58 AM, they’ll be able to earn another at 5:01 AM.

[h3]WINTER WARRIOR[/h3]

The Winter Warrior and his glacial minions are back, bringing with them another threat of the Forever Winter. Rally a party of 20+ players to defeat this open-world boss wreaking havoc throughout Great Cleave, Brightwood, Edengrove, Ebonscale Reach, and Brimstone Sands for a bounty of limited-time rewards.

To further incentive the safety of Aeternum, the Winter Warrior will now drop 15 Dark Matter 3 times daily.

[h3]GLEAMITE METEORS[/h3]

An unknown phenomenon has increased the frequency of Gleamite Meteors around the world. Share your favorite images and discuss the best sightseeing spots with the community.

[h3]EVENT SHOP REWARDS[/h3]
Visit Holiday Huts at any Winter Village to craft Winter Tokens in exchange for Lost Presents, Gleamite, or Warrior's Hailspikes (Winter Warrior drop). Winter Tokens can be used at the Event Shop to purchase the following event-specific items. Increase your Reputation through holiday quests, Gleamite Meteors, Gift Piles, Trees of Light, Lost Presents, and Gift Sacks for a wider selection of rewards.



[h2]NEW SHOP ITEMS[/h2]
Pick up valuable Crafting items like Azoth Inductors, Chromatic Seals, and Pristine Gleamite alongside fresh holiday rewards such as a Snowball Flail.

[h3]MERRYMAKER[/h3]

• Swinging Snowball (Gear Score 400 Flail)
  

[h3]JOYBRINGER[/h3]

• Wooden Mobile
  
• Festive Centerpiece
  
• Gleamite Strings Lights
  
• Choochoo Train Set
  

[h3]HOLIDAY REGENT[/h3]

• Pristine Gleamite crafting material for Gear Score 700 static Weapons/Armor/Jewelry. (Limit: One purchase per week)
  
• Azoth Inductor (Limit: One purchase per week)
  
• Chromatic Seal (Limit: One purchase every 3 days)
  
• Golden Wreath Coat skin
  
• Golden Wreath Helmet Skin
  
• Golden Wreath Pants Skin
  
• Golden Wreath Gloves Skin
  
• Winter Warrior’s Leggings Skin
  
• Winter Warrior’s Boots Skin
  
• Pop the Bottle Emote
  
• Ice Skate Emote
  
• Jingle Bell Emote
  
• Intricate Igloo Camp Skin
  

[h2]RETURNING FAVORITES[/h2]
Pick up any emotes, Housing items, and skins you may have missed from last year’s festivities.

[h3]REVELER[/h3]

• Spiced Nog
  
• Mealiewrap
  
• Convergence Cake
  
• Buttercream Pudding
  
• Gingersnap Cookie
  

[h3]CELEBRANT[/h3]

• Flute of the Winter Star (Flute Skin)
  
• Convergence Cacophony (Guitar Skin)
  
• Yeti-Fur Bass (Bass Skin)
  
• The Beat of Winter (Drum Skin)
  
• Chilly Melody (Mandolin Skin)
  
• Snowcapped Chair
  
• Snowcapped Shelf
  
• Snowcapped Nightstand
  
• Snowcapped Lantern
  

[h3]MERRYMAKER[/h3]

• Snowcapped Rabbit
  
• Iceburst (Gear Score 400 Sword)
  
• Frigid Bulwark (Gear Score 400 Round Shield)
  
• Aegis of Ice (Gear Score 400 Kite Shield)
  
• Blizzard’s Fury (Gear Score 400 Bow)
  
• Frostbarrel (Gear Score 400 Musket)
  
• Icebarrel (Gear Score 400 Blunderbuss)
  
• Winter’s War Hammer (Gear Score 400 War Hammer)
  
• Frozen Shard (Gear Score 400 Hatchet)
  
• Everchill Cleaver (Gear Score 400 Great Axe)
  
• Cold Calamity (Gear Score 400 Greatsword)
  
• Tip of the Iceberg (Gear Score 400 Rapier)
  
• Icicle (Gear Score 400 Spear)
  
• Sizzling Snow (Gear Score 400 Fire Staff)
  
• Cold’s Cure (Gear Score 400 Life Staff)
  
• Crystalline Gauntlet (Gear Score 400 Ice Gauntlet)
  
• Bitter Shadow (Gear Score 400 Void Gauntlet)
  

[h3]JOYBRINGER[/h3]

• Snowcapped Dining Table
  
• Snowcapped Bookcase
  
• Snowcapped Chandelier
  
• Snowcapped Bed
  
• Snowcapped Boar Sculpture
  
• Snowcapped Stag Sculpture
  
• Festive “Toy” Rabbit
  
• Give Present Emote
  
• Winter Wanderer’s Cloak Skin
  

[h3]HOLIDAY REGENT[/h3]

• Snowcapped Yeti Sculpture
  
• Wittl’ Winter Wiskers
  
• Winter Wanderer’s Helm Skin
  
• Winter Wanderer’s Flowing Cloak Skin
  
• Winter Warrior’s Helm Skin
  
• Winter Warrior’s Glove Skin
  
• Winter Scale Coat Skin
  
• Gleamite Juggle Emote
  
• Throw Snow Emote
  
• Shruggy Dance Emote
  
• The Winter Gem Camp Skin
  

Thanks for your support and have a happy holidays! We’ll see you in Aeternum.

Greetings, Adventurers!

New World Update 3.0.4 downtime will begin at 11:00PM PT (6:00AM UTC) on November 28 and last approximately 1 hour. Turkules has triumphed over Turkulon, bringing this year’s event to a close. Check out the full release for various combat fixes, plus a change to Turkulon’s Claw.

[h3]General[/h3]

• Turkulon's Claw can now be repaired.
  
• Fixed a rare issue that caused the game to get stuck on a white screen or a very slow Amazon Games logo animation. We will continue to monitor this fix and make additional changes as necessary.
  

[h3]Combat[/h3]

• Fixed an issue that allowed the Dark Ascent Heartrune to be activated and canceled repeatedly for excessive damage.
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to get stuck with a permanent Haste buff when using Arcane Vortex while inflicted with Slow from the Blunderbuss' Net Shot.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the Flail’s Arcane Smite ability to not show a damage type when using the final Deflecting Frailty upgrade causing previously applied reactions to be inherited by the ability, retriggering them.
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed Firestorm and Pillar of Fire to be cast while mounted.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused Pestilence to deal extra damage when used with a Rapier.
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed Rapier’s Evade ability without cooldowns.
  

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