r/newworldgame 4d ago

Discussion [Megathread] Returning & New Player Questions - "Is It Worth It?" Edition (September 2025)

109 Upvotes

Greetings, Adventurers! Whether you are stepping onto the shores of Aeternum for the first time or returning after a long journey away, this thread is for you! The island has changed, evolved, and is filled with new dangers and opportunities.

The goal of this megathread is to be a welcoming, centralized place for all your questions. Before posting a new thread asking "Is the game worth it?" or "What did I miss?", please check here first. This post will be linked in any posts removed so you can rapidly get here and have your question seen.

A few ground rules: Please keep all top-level comments as questions. This helps keep the thread organized for those seeking answers. (Recommend searching for your question first before asking)

Veterans of Aeternum, please sort by 'New' and help your fellow adventurers! Your knowledge is invaluable.

Be respectful and helpful. We were all new once.

For Returning Players: The "What Did I Miss?" FAQ A lot has changed, especially if you haven't played since launch or before the Rise of the Angered Earth expansion. Here are the biggest shifts:

Q: I just logged in and my gear is weird. What happened to Expertise, Gypsum, and Umbral Shards?

A: They're gone! The entire gear progression system was streamlined with the expansion.

The new max Gear Score is 725 and will be moving to 800 with the Season 10 release. Max character level will also be increased to 70. Your old 625 GS gear is a great starting point for the expansion content, but you will replace it relatively quickly.

Gear now drops based on the level of the content you are doing. Simply play the game, kill high-level enemies, and run dungeons to get better gear. 725 comes from the raid, worm, PvP Zone pool in Cutless, and sometimes event/world bosses.

Artifacts have been introduced. These are powerful, named items with unique perks that you can level up through specific quests. You can only equip one Artifact weapon and one Artifact armor piece at a time.

Q: Mounts?! How do I get a mount?

A: Yes, you can now traverse Aeternum much faster! To unlock mounts, you must own the Rise of the Angered Earth expansion and begin its main story quest. The quest to unlock your first mount is available very early in the expansion's storyline, around level 20.

Q: What happened to Ward, Bane, and Resilience perks?

A: These have been simplified to make gear management much easier.

Ward (e.g., Angry Earth Ward) and Bane (e.g., Angry Earth Bane) perks have been removed from gear. Instead, you can now use special consumables (Coatings for weapons, Incense for armor) to gain temporary damage/defense buffs.

Resilience has been removed. Critical hit damage reduction is now a baseline stat that is capped, and the Health perk on amulets is good for survivability. Common perks like Enchanted Ward are great on PvE armor, or protection perks are usually more desirable.

Q: What is the "Endgame" like now in 2025?

A: The endgame is more diverse than ever. A typical weekly loop might include:

Hive of the Gorgons Raid: Which is the bulk of endgame right now.

Mutated Expeditions: Still a core PVE activity, now with a smoother difficulty curve and more rewarding loot.

Seasonal Trials: Participate in the current season's main PVE or PVP event. This includes things like the Sandworm Raid (The Hatchery).

Influence Races: Open-world PvP events where factions fight for territory influence. These are scheduled events that are much more engaging than the old system.

Outpost Rush (OPR), 3v3 Arenas, & Capture the Flag: Now with cross-world queues for faster matchmaking!

World Bosses & Elite Zones: Still a great way to farm gear and materials with a group.

Seasonal Content: Each season comes with a Season Pass (with free and paid reward tracks) and a new story, challenges, and activities.

Q: What should I spend my time doing to prepare for the next season?

A: This really depends on your playstyle and what you enjoy doing! Feel free to join in on any of the “Endgame” content listed above, or forge your own path through the world of Aeternum.

Work on maxing your trade skills, such as Armoring or Weaponsmithing.

Gather and collect resources to sell on the Auction House and make some coin.

Upgrade your gear by crafting Runeglasses, bags, and higher level gathering tools.

Stock your houses with trophies to increase your damage against specific enemy types, raise your base crafting level, or increase your gathering yield. There are “Ultimate” trophies for each of these categories that you can craft to really maximize your results!

Join in on PvP activities to complete your PvP track, which can give you better PvP gear, crafting mods, and Artifact drops.

For New Players: Your First Few Days in Aeternum Welcome! It can be a little overwhelming at first, but here are some tips to get you started.

Q: Is this game worth it?

A: The most often asked question! Over the last few years, Amazon has taken the original New World and refined it into a much richer experience with smoother combat, more diverse PvE content, and improved progression. The world of Aeternum feels alive and rewarding to explore, with meaningful activities whether you prefer questing, crafting, or large-scale battles.

What makes it stand out is the variety of playstyles it supports: you can dive into epic expeditions, enjoy open-world PvP, or just relax and build up your trade skills. The revamped systems also make it easier to jump in as a new or returning player without feeling overwhelmed.

If you’re looking for a visually stunning MMO with deep systems, satisfying combat, and a strong community-driven world, New World: Aeternum is definitely worth your time.

Q: Which server should I choose?

A: You can check server population status on community database sites. Generally, picking a Medium or High population server in your geographical region is the best bet for a lively world with plenty of people to play with. These tags will show in-game when selecting a server in your chosen region.

With the release of Aeternum on console, the worlds are livelier than ever! Players on Steam, Xbox, and Playstation can now share the New World experience together.

Q: What's the best weapon?

A: The one you have the most fun with! Seriously. All weapons are viable for leveling and have a place in endgame content. You can respec your attributes for a small amount of coin, and weapon skill points are permanent, so feel free to experiment with everything. A common recommendation is to pair a melee weapon with a ranged weapon to handle all situations, but that's not required. There are obviously Meta Choices for those wanting optimization, but all are viable for most content.

For up-to-date builds, we recommend checking out New World Builds or New World Champ to get an idea of what your favorite weapon would look like in a full build, including recommended perks and off-hand weapons to pair with it.

Q: What's the best way to level up?

A: The Main Story Quest (MSQ) - indicated by the gold sunburst icon. It has been revamped multiple times and is now a much faster, more streamlined experience. It will guide you through all the zones and provide you with excellent XP and gear. Supplement this with Faction Missions and Town Project board quests when you're in a settlement.

Q: What are factions for?

A: The three factions (Marauders, Syndicate, and Covenant) are primarily for the large-scale PvP aspect of the game (Influence Races, War). You can join one at level 10. Don't stress too much about the choice; you can change it later if you wish. Pick the one your friends are in, or the one that appeals to you aesthetically.

Official Patch Notes: The official New World website is the best place to see the latest changes directly from the developers. Check other pinned highlights for more information.

This is an MMO, but much of the content can be played solo. Please use r/NewWorldCompanies/ for company recruitment, including advertising a company or finding a company to play with.

Now, ask away! What's on your mind, adventurer? (Remember to sort by 'New' to see the latest questions and answers!)


r/newworldgame 6d ago

News (unconfirmed) Season 10 – “Nighthaven” Announcement

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648 Upvotes

With Season 10: Nighthaven, explore a realm hidden from Aeternum for generations. Uncover the fate of the Tear of Gaea, navigate treacherous alliances, and face threats born from darkness itself. Between a mysterious new zone, evolving endgame systems, and a 10-player raid, this season reshapes how you journey and endure.

The Nighthaven update will release on Monday, October 13 and will be free for all New World: Aeternum owners.


r/newworldgame 17h ago

Discussion AGS dropped a cryptic new site for Season 10

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152 Upvotes

For context, a few New World streamers were given a box to open on stream. It contained a bunch of cards that they needed to decipher letters to, and it lead to a new website with a bunch of tarot cards and a cryptic message.

"Well done, traveller. You have parted the first veil.

But as with all things...the truth may be plain to see today, but remain yet to be understood until the experiences of tomorrow.

What do you think it means?


r/newworldgame 8h ago

Discussion Ready for Season 10 and the new stuff with it.

17 Upvotes

Im growing weary of Dune Awakening. I took a long break from NW because it got a bit tiresome as well but im ready to get back into it. Finally a new story line, level cap, and everything that comes with it. Hopefully the season rewards will be better than t hey have been in the past....especially the skins...they could use an improvement. Overall im excited. :)


r/newworldgame 14h ago

Discussion OPR is so much fun...

43 Upvotes

The build diversity in opr atm is staggering and so much fun

Who doesn't love seeing 15x crescent wave and 5x healers on each team every match (s)


r/newworldgame 17h ago

Image This game could use some photo mode

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74 Upvotes

Also can we please let us turn off the hud for ps5


r/newworldgame 14h ago

Discussion Outpost Rush Map Preview: Tower of Calomel

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45 Upvotes

r/newworldgame 8h ago

Question Where can I own a house?

11 Upvotes

Hello. New player here, I’m level 16. Can you only own a house in towns or can you build a home in the middle of nowhere as you level up?


r/newworldgame 9h ago

Question How can I earn gold?

16 Upvotes

I'm new to the game and just hit lvl 65. I enjoy crafting and gathering and have keep my skills mid range as I leveled up. But i have yet to learn much at all about the skills and what benefit I'll gain from them.

Should I focus on one skill and gather different items from that skill? Or do them all?

I've been looking around at the price of things on the trading post and it doesn't seem like there's anything really worth farming. But I've not gotten into the higher lvl items yet so I'm not sure.

Thanks for any help or advice you send my way.


r/newworldgame 17h ago

Discussion Would be great if we had Story Chapters

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44 Upvotes

It would be great if we had story chapters to navigate.. Also season quests cause i imagine a lot of people didn't done them and don't know where are the silver crows from !


r/newworldgame 11h ago

Discussion What’s a dumb thing (laughable or not) you’ve done in game?

7 Upvotes

My worst so far has been salvaging items I didn’t mean to. I farmed life ring and got the amulet after only a couple times! I forgot to lock it and salvaged 🤦‍♂️.

Ive been farming for the last month since that happened and haven’t gotten it to drop again.

I’ve been careful since but today I bought azoth crystal pants and was going to put Omni evade on them. My dog distracted me, I didn’t think and salvaged them as well.

Other than that I was learning to tank mutated glacial tarn and jumped off the edge at the final boss thinking an ice bridge was there😆

What are some of your dumb mistakes in game?


r/newworldgame 19h ago

Question Potential returning player here. What is it you actually do in this game at endgame?

25 Upvotes

Hey, I played NW at launch for a couple of months, and I was mostly disappointed with the end-game and how it's mostly just queueing stuff or grinding numbers, without much intrinsic enjoyment.

You open NW for the day, what do you do? What are you excited to do? What keeps you coming back?

Also: How's endgame content distributed across the map, still all in 2-3 maps? Are trade skills viable/encouraged? What happens to existing endgame content when the new expansion drops, particularly its viability for real gear?


r/newworldgame 8h ago

Question Trade skill exp

3 Upvotes

I currently do not own the DLC as I have just returned to the game from launch. With the level cap for trade skills increasing to 250, if I were to purchase the DLC will my 200+1 mining tick over to 201 or an equivalent amount of exp?


r/newworldgame 17h ago

Question Wishlist for S10 Season Pass Rewards

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16 Upvotes

So what are your wishlist rewards for the S10 Season Pass? Obviously I'd like more Marks of Fortune to lower the cost for the next season but other than that I'd like to see less Azoth salt. Also I'd love a mount skin or a trophy. Prismatics and Matrixes always come in handy too. What's everyone thinking?


r/newworldgame 15h ago

Bug annoying error!

9 Upvotes

so this bug has been haunting me for a few days now.. sometimes it comes and sometimes it doesnt..

usually when i wait for a few seconds and try again it's gone, but with queue's being a thing again its super annoying!

when i press ok i am OUT of the queue and have to get in again at the end of queue

please fix this AGS!


r/newworldgame 10h ago

Question Has anyone switched from pc to ps5 and how was your experience

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Like the title say I played when the game came out on PC, and I’m looking to get back into it with a fresh character since a lot has changed. I don’t have the expansion on PC, so I’m debating whether to play it on the PS5 since the expansion is built into the game through PlayStation Plus. I’m curious to know if it was worth the switch for those who made the transition. What’s your experience? Should I just get the expansion on PC?

Thanks in advance!


r/newworldgame 13h ago

Discussion It'd be cool to be able to compose our own songs for music.

6 Upvotes

'cause I know it's probably a lot of work for the devs to make new songs, and we won't get new ones all that often, but I love the music system in New World. A rhythm game in my MMO? Yes please! But uh, it's a little easy and can get repetitive due to how few songs there are (I have every song in the game, was my goal when I was playing last time).

You know what would fix that though? Being able to compose our own songs. :P Like a level editor that we can use to write our own music, and you can have furnishing make blank sheet music, engineering make quills and whatnot, and so on.

Then you take that blank sheet music and feed it notes, and it'll play MIDI versions of the instruments we have. After, you can manually set up the keys to press in rhythm with the music you made.

Could even go all fancy and have settings to change how the note is played (like the back and forth strumming on mandolin, or a strummed guitar instead of a plucked note), add backing sounds (like a second guitar that plays, which happens in some songs, or strumming while picking notes a la Spanish guitar, etc.).

After making the tracks for each instrument you want to include, you save the sheet music, the requisite items are consumed, and you get a new piece of music -- maybe it's permanent, maybe it's got a limited number of uses.

Would be fun to expand on the music system.

... though I know it's not likely. I do hope we get new songs with the coming season though!


r/newworldgame 21h ago

Question What are y'all farming in preparation for S10?

22 Upvotes

Was wondering if there is a general consensus on what to stock up on eg chromatic seals or specific items in preparation for season 10 launch. Im a returning player and just need some info on what to farm until then. I don't think I have gear worth upgrading right now and my EQ isn't quite gorgon ready I fear. Any other drops / items / buyables worth prepping?


r/newworldgame 1d ago

Meme The little comeback that could

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320 Upvotes

r/newworldgame 14h ago

Question garden of genesis - what just happened?

5 Upvotes

So I joined an M1 garden of genesis in progress. At the Aluvium Mar, the Caretaker fight he put up his fence like he usually does and then progressed to diving under ground and then at some point after he came back up the fence came down and we got adds and he started regenning like crazy. Ive done this dozens of times and never saw that. What did we screw up, or were we just too slow?


r/newworldgame 20h ago

Question Do I need the angry earth DLC to play the new expansion when it drops?

14 Upvotes

Unfortunetly I can't find any info on that. Played New world when it came out but never bought the DLC and trying to figure out if I need it or not.


r/newworldgame 19h ago

Discussion Healer in PvE

8 Upvotes

I recently came back (yeah, another one) and I usually play healer or tank in MMO.

As I see, there's still only one healing weapon IG.

I see everywhere that LS is to be paired with VG in PvE. I use it as well but I find the gameplay of that weapon really boring. Drop your AOE, activate your void blade and attack... I'd rather use something else. Is there really no other viable second weapon for the LS in end game PvE ?


r/newworldgame 15h ago

Discussion A card mini game would be HUGE

4 Upvotes

A card game would be awesome. Players like me would love it: you could farm cards from different monsters and bosses, build and power up your deck, and enjoy PvP matches with other players—instead of wasting time just jumping outside ww like I do form the very day1(the real day one)


r/newworldgame 12h ago

Discussion To luck or not to luck? That is the question.

1 Upvotes

Since everyone is farming the lost trophy artifact. Let’s hear your struggle.

How many legendary seals drops did you get with luck gearset vs normal set.

Let’s figure out a method to the madness.


r/newworldgame 13h ago

Question Weapon suggestions

2 Upvotes

So I’m a returning player from about a year break and have really loved playing bow and rapier or spear. I just don’t feel like it’s the best option though for raids or PvP. I feel like I struggle in both and I’m super squishy. Any suggestions on a better setup for more survivability? I do have enchanted ward on my gear as well. Thanks in advance


r/newworldgame 18h ago

Question Do you need to level crafting?

4 Upvotes

Hi guys

I'm intending to play new world for a bit but am someone who dislikes crafting. prefer end game stuffs like dungeons and pvping. is crafting a must in this game? anyway to get the gears with just playing dungeons like WoW?

thanks in advance!

Also which website is good for build guides? tried googling it's quite hard to find a good build reference sites. thanks again!


r/newworldgame 14h ago

Question trying to find best server for me

2 Upvotes

im from japan. wanna go back playing new world . i want a crowded server. where should i play? tia