There are no classes in New World, however – instead, you can customise your build by choosing to specialise in particular weapons, increasing your attribute points when you level up, and investing time in trade skills. The combat is designed to have a high skill ceiling, requiring you to aim your hits, and dodge or parry your foes’ attacks – you can even beat higher level players in PvP if you outplay them.
New World has been through a few beta tests, so while many of the game’s systems have been finished, it is possible that they will receive substantial tweaks before the New World release date arrives. Here’s everything coming to the new MMO this summer.
The New World release date is September 28, 2021.
No, you can access the game via a one-time purchase. There is a standard edition and deluxe edition available to buy.
New World progression
As mentioned previously, there are no class systems in New World; instead, you gain Weapon Mastery by using a particular weapon, eventually unlocking skill points and abilities. You can put points into several weapons, but you are only able to fully unlock one.
There are four categories of weapon:
For more details on their strengths and weaknesses, see our New World weapons guide.
Combat in New World is slightly different from what you may be accustomed to in other MMOs. You can’t automatically target enemies or cycle through them – you must aim each attack precisely, including projectiles. It’s been compared to Dark Souls, as you must block, dodge, and watch your timing. This makes PVP much more skill based rather than stat based.
Players must choose a faction after reaching level 10. The New World factions are:
Guilds in New World are known as companies, and they can take over plots of land, building them up into towns and cities. You can only join a company of the same faction. Players can purchase New World player housing in settlements. They can also be attacked by rival companies – in sieges – or by NPCs. Fortunately, if control of a settlement is lost, your personal housing will not be taken over.
Expeditions are instanced dungeons that drop unique weapons, armour, and materials. They’re designed for small groups of up to five players. To access expeditions, the party needs a Tuning Orb, which you can craft or acquire as a mission reward. If you want to play with friends in New World, this is the co-op experience.
New World has a detailed crafting system; there are seven professions: weaponsmithing, armoring, jewelcrafting, engineering, arcana, and cooking.
