New World Aeternum Season 9 Leveling Guide: How To Order Your Quests?

New World Aeternum received a small update on the evening of November 3rd, and it's great to see that the game is still being maintained. This might not be the last update, as the promised new weapon hasn't been released yet. However, given the current situation, will it even appear? So let's take a look at the main content, the issues addressed, and the overall direction of this update. Main Content Updates Reekwater Area Enhancements A major update to Reekwater area was performed, including fixes to Siren Skull, and Barrel Explosion Systems, as well as improvements to overall stability. This was originally part of a planned large-scale overhaul of Reekwater. Perks Fix Disdain Infliction I: The power of Disdain Infliction I perk has been reduced, possibly removing the additional damage it previously dealt to monsters. Beloved II: Fixed an issue where the extra damage from Beloved perk wasn't working. Life Stealer's Draw II: Added a 0.1-second cooldown to Life Stealer's Draw II perk to prevent a single activation from triggering multiple life steals. Protector's Blessing: Fixed an issue where Protector's Blessing foot and leg items had duplicate perks. Perk Balance Adjustments Nerfed the maximum strength of the old Enchanted Ward, making it weaker than the new Enchanted Ward, but both can still stack. Buffed the new Refreshing Move II effect (from 1% to 2%) and increased the activation time of the old Refreshing Move (from 0.2 seconds to 0.4 seconds). Reduced the duration of the old Sundering Shockwave (from 10 seconds to 7 seconds). Mechanistic Adjustments The trigger conditions for all Protection Perks have been changed from "not equipped" to "on active." This means that these effects no longer apply when the shield is put away (e.g., when switching off-hand weapons), fixing a mechanism that could be abused. The maximum effect of Grit Ward II has been increased to 2.4%, and the maximum effect of Grit Ward I has been reduced to 1.8%, allowing two Toughness Armor perks to negate additional damage from other perks. Elemental Aversion II perk has also been updated to match the values of Physical Aversion II. Finally, an issue where the elemental damage of Sapphire Damage Conversion Gems did not scale with attributes has been fixed. Expeditions Fixes Fixed a bug affecting the first raid boss, Jester, along with pathing issues that caused bosses to get stuck and reset raids. Progress issues in Dynasty Shipyard Expeditions have been fixed. Fixed issues with Minor Heartrunes not dropping from dungeon bosses and incorrect Umbral Crystals reward amounts in PvP tracks. Economy Nighthaven Faction Influence Race has finally been implemented, and the level 65 main quest chain is no longer blocked after abandoning push quests. Additionally, the reward expenditure for Territory Wars has been adjusted; the reward for occupying Nighthaven has been increased to 15%, while other areas have generally seen a decrease. The tips earned from playing instruments have been changed from Primary Input to Secondary Input. This was actually to prevent players from earning large amounts of New World coins from other players by auto-playing at monster farms. However, this change now feels somewhat ironic, as very few players come those farms anymore. It also indicates that the developers once tolerated the behavior - they simply didn't want players profiting excessively from it. That concludes the main content of this update. Aside from some game content fixes and balance changes, there's nothing new. So, is there still hope for the promised new weapons? The Future Of New World Aeternum Currently, the most pressing question for New World Aeternum player community is whether any other company can acquire it. While it is technically available for sale, significant practical obstacles exist. Firstly, as an original IP, New World lacks brand recognition and carries the negative reputation of its disastrous launch, making it far less attractive to potential buyers than established IPs like The Lord of the Rings. Secondly, New World uses a custom engine (originally CryEngine, then Lumberyard, and finally Azoth). This engine is highly niche, requiring external development teams without prior experience to learn how to use it effectively. Any company acquiring the game would almost certainly have to take over the original development team as well, requiring them to train new employees. However, the official announcement of development halting coincided with the layoff of most of the team, significantly reducing the project's value and likelihood of being acquired. Finally, if the parent company sells the game to another company that successfully operates and revitalizes New World, it would prove the parent company's operational and marketing failures, rather than the game itself, causing even greater damage to its brand reputation. Given the improved state of New World Season 9 and Season 10, its chances of success in someone else's hands are not low, and someone within the parent company could already be aware of this, making a sale even less likely, as the company likely wishes to avoid player ridicule and humiliation. With a large number of core personnel leaving, it will be difficult for the current maintenance and operation staff to continue developing new weapons. Therefore, the new weapon - the dagger - may become a promise that New World can never fulfill to its players.

If you've had a general overview of all the new content in New World Season 10, you'll know that most of the new playable modes are PvE and best completed in a team. But have you considered the possibility of tackling them solo? Season 10 adds new PvE modes, including Catacombs and Isle of Night raid. The raid retains the 10-player group system and is extremely difficult, it's best not to enter solo. However, Catacombs completely allows you to try solo play. Theoretically, a three-person team is the best composition for exploring Catacombs - DPS, tank, and healer, perfect. But the game doesn't actually force you to always stay with your teammates. So if you have the time and are willing to challenge yourself, you can try leaving the group and exploring Catacombs dungeon solo, following our upcoming guide, and see if you can successfully bring back the rewards! Catacombs Mode Mechanics Overview This mode has a 30-minute time limit. During this time, you need to enter the corresponding dungeon and continuously kill enemies to unlock the boss. Defeating the boss will advance you to the next level, and this process repeats until the time runs out. Increased levels not only mean facing more dangerous enemies and bosses, but also granting you more rare rewards upon victory. The boss's room is marked with a skull icon on the dungeon mini-map. You need to thoroughly explore other rooms to find levers to open the door to the boss battle. Each run of Catacombs features several bosses, but their combat mechanics are not entirely original to Season 10; rather, they are designed based on all the boss battles in the game so far. To successfully collect all the rewards from the dungeon, at least one person in the party must leave alive. This means that if you're exploring solo, you must survive to the end. Alternatively, you can choose to retreat before the timer expires to avoid additional losses. How To Explore Catacombs Solo? You'll need to make various preparations to solo successfully, such as upgrading your character's gear, mastering additional tips based on the inherent mechanics, and more. We'll introduce the specifics below. Memorize All Map Layouts Each time you explore a Catacombs dungeon, you'll face a completely new map, but this "new" only applies compared with the previous exploration; the total number of maps isn't infinite. If you explore with a team, you can split up when encountering unfamiliar dungeon layouts, reducing the probability of encountering unknown dangers and finding the boss faster. However, if you go alone, exploring unfamiliar areas will consume more time. Therefore, it's best to play a few times in a team or check relevant guides to familiarize yourself with all Catacombs dungeon maps, saving time and getting straight to the boss fight. Ideally Obtain All Buffs In addition to various enemies and boss rooms, there are rooms within the dungeon where you can obtain additional combat buffs: Idol of Ascension and Aspects. Defeating enemies yields an item called Splintered Souls, which can be used to exchange for damage and maximum health boosts when entering rooms with Idol of Ascension. Aspect rooms feature multiple statues offering various buffs. At a party, everyone should prioritize the best buffs for their playstyle. However, if exploring solo, you can choose based on your character's strengths and weaknesses. Leave Bosses For Later Since the difficulty of subsequent levels increases with each boss defeated, it's recommended not to rush to kill them after unlocking them. Prioritize defeating weaker bosses to avoid failing early on due to overly difficult regular levels. Once you've acquired sufficient buffs through exploring the rooms, you can focus on clearing bosses! It's important to note that since dungeon layouts change each time, and a boss's difficulty depends not only on its level but also on whether you possess attributes that counter it, there's no absolute priority ranking for boss challenges. Possible bosses in the dungeon include: Snorok Ice Fist Grundgul The Regent Soul Eater Neishatun Kurok Hadish Azar, Keeper of Flame Nereid Fulgoris Crafting Suitable Build Since Catacombs is a PvE mode, craft builds should prioritize improving PvE attributes in skills, gear, and perks. In solo mode, without support, your build needs to achieve a balance between damage output, defense, and self-healing. A deficiency in any one area will hinder exploration. Since each boss is different, we recommend using a general solo Catacombs build crafting approach, then combined with different skills and armor to target specific damage outputs or switch to more flexible/stable movement methods. Don't Be Fixated On Solo Play The solo playstyle we describe assumes all party members are split up, as the system will force team matching. While you can explore the entire Catacombs solo, if you encounter danger after running out of respawns, it's best to call for your teammates immediately. Summary In general, completing Catacombs solo is entirely feasible, but it's not the most efficient way to obtain rewards. The best dungeon clearing strategy is to first split up and eliminate enough regular enemies to collect a large amount of Splintered Souls, then regroup to defeat the boss with additional buffs. This will increase everyone's survival rate. That concludes our introduction. If you are confident in your abilities, please follow our suggestions and start experiencing solo Catacombs exploration now!

First of all, R.I.P. to New World Aeternum. Although it will no longer be updated, the servers will continue to operate for about another year. At least during this final period, you can continue to enjoy the game. So, to allow you to enjoy the last moments of this game, here's a guide to the equipment and techniques needed for New World Aeternum Season 10 Bruiser PvP gameplay. Attribute Points Two recommended configurations, which can be quickly switched using Gear Sets: Configuration 1: 318 Strength and 250 Constitution Configuration 2: 350 Strength and 200 Constitution The combination of 350 Strength and 200 Constitution may result in slightly higher damage, but will also make you more vulnerable. You can adjust it according to your own preferences. Artifacts For Season 10 PVP Bruiser, there are three artifact options in the current version: Djinn Headwrap: Its Invigorated II and Vigor II reduce the duration of negative status effects, stacking up to 5 times. Tumbler Feetwraps: Enhance evasion and provide healing after dodging. Unyielding: Reduces critical hit damage taken and increases critical hit chance in PVP. Djinn Headwrap is highly recommended, while if you don't have it, the other two artifacts are also good choices. Heartrunes Gems Three recommended options: Brutal Heartrune of Detonate: Accumulates explosive energy and detonates, dealing 100% Heartrunes damage within a 5-meter radius (highest damage). Brutal Heartrune of Grasping Vines: Summons vines to surround the user, dealing damage and immobilizing enemies within a 4-meter radius for 3 seconds. Cunning Heartrune of Phantom Blades: Inflicts Sluggish on hit, making it impossible for the enemy to dodge. Armor And Perks To ensure compatibility with both Goldwrap Headband and Thumba Anklets, the recommended Loot Bias gear combination is: Head: Medium Body: Heavy Hands: Light Legs: Heavy Feet: Light Wearing this gear will make it easier to obtain equipment of the corresponding weight and slot from chests and rewards. Armor Core Perks Shirking Fortification Perk should be present on every piece of armor; it grants a significant amount of armor after dodging. Other Recommended Perks Excellent: Slash, Strike, Flame, Arcane, Shock. Normal: Thrust, Void. Not Recommended: Nature, Frost. Defensive Slot: Prioritize Invigorated, Keenly Fortified, and Freedom; alternatively, choose Enchanted Ward or Elemental Aversion. Gem Socket: Prioritize Punishing gems to increase melee damage. Offensive Slot: Can be placed in Penetrating Backstab. Weapon Mastery And Skills The two recommended weapons for a PvP Bruiser are both melee: Great Axe and War Hammer. Besides their considerable damage, they also offer good control and damage reduction capabilities. Great Axe Abilities Essential and important skills are as follows: Maelstrom: Spin attack that pulls enemies closer. Storm's Reach: Increases the range of the spin. Absorb: Spin and block projectiles. No Reprieve: Gain Grit while spinning and can launch additional attacks. Gravity Well: Creates a 10-meter vortex that pulls enemies closer and immobilizes them. Crowded Well: Increases burst damage when an enemy is caught in the vortex. Unyielding: Increases the buffs received by allies standing in the vortex. Enduring Strike: Gain Grit on heavy attacks. Mauler's Resolve: Automatically regenerates stamina when health is low. War Hammer Skills Acceleration and Quick Recovery: Use light and heavy attacks to reposition and reduce cooldowns. Note: Avoid taking Exhaustive Attacks, as they are incompatible with Djinn Headwrap. Core Perks Attunement Perks End II Shirking Perks Intangible Charge II: Allows charging through most obstacles except ice walls (Great Axe). Insatiable Gravity Well (War Hammer). Weapon Gem: Can use Cut Pristine Turquoise, providing armor penetration, synergizing with Penetrating Backstab skill. Jewellery Amulet Abandon Ankh, and Pursue multiple protections, ideally a combination of: Slash Protection, Strike Protection, Arcane Protection, and Well-Being. Earring Endless Thirst is your best choice. If you don't have one, you can choose earrings with Regenerating, Refreshing Toast, and Refreshing Recovery as alternatives. Ring You need to choose a ring with Unstoppable as core. It provides a grit effect at the start of light and heavy attacks, greatly enhancing your pressure. In Open World PvP (OPR), your Gear Score automatically increases to 775, so low-score gear is viable. However, in War mode, Gear Score is crucial. You should prioritize upgrading your weapons, artifacts, and amulets to 800 to maximize damage and survivability. Consumables To further increase damage, you'll need to prepare some consumables. These can be replenished at any time using New World gold or crafted yourself. Consumables like Sharpening Stones and food can provide temporary attribute buffs, increasing attack power or reducing DoT effects. You can keep Regeneration Serum and Cleansing Elixir in your hotbar, and they are essential. If you don't have an Unstoppable Ring, carry an Infused Grit Potion. For defensive potions, choose Gemstone Dust, Fire Absorption Potion, or Arcane Absorption Potion. Combos When the team is focused down, use potions and crowd control removal abilities beforehand, then use Brutal Heartrune of Detonate (or other Heartrunes skill), and use Charge to escape after the explosion. You can pre-stack Mauler's Fury stacks with normal attacks, then unleash a Grav Well and Shockwave combo to deal damage in one go. That's all for Bruiser PVP. It has high gear requirements, but there probably won't be many more opportunities to fight in the future. So use up your coins and materials, and enjoy the battle while your in-game friends are still here.

New World: Aeternum is dead! While players are still enjoying Season 10, and even seeing a rebound in player numbers since Season 9, the end is hanging over New World. New World: Aeternum Season 10 was just released two weeks ago, and Rise of the Angry Earth DLC was released for free, and everything seemed to be getting better. Why did New World: Aeternum come to an abrupt end? We need to see the latest announcement. What Happened? In the announcement on October 28th, the developers stated that New World will cease providing new content updates at the end of 2026. The servers will continue to operate until 2026 (possibly until the end of the year), or even early 2027, but will eventually shut down. The official announcement promised to notify players six months in advance before the closure. The recently released Season 10: Nighthaven will be the last major content update for the game on PC and console platforms. The game will enter Maintenance Mode, meaning the official team will only perform necessary bug fixes and server maintenance, and will no longer develop new content. Current Game Status The game is no longer available for sale on Steam, but it may still be available on the official website. In-game currency and micro-transactions will remain open, allowing players to trade items and New World coins with other players. Players with PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium memberships can continue playing. Halloween Event will be the last holiday event; subsequent winter events and similar events will not be held. The official team will perform necessary bug fixes to maintain server stability, but there will be no new content. Before the announcement, the total number of players on PC and console platforms was approximately 80,000. After the announcement, the player count has plummeted. Why Is It Shutting Down? The primary and most direct reason for the closure of New World: Aeternum is massive layoffs at its parent company, with some reports suggesting up to 30,000 employees affected. The video game division was severely impacted, with 2 studios developing New World: Aeternum being almost entirely shut down. A game project based on Lord of the Rings IP was also cancelled. New World: Aeternum's parent company announced a shift in resources towards AI, calling it "the most transformative technology since the internet." However, they didn't completely eliminate the game division; instead, the focus shifted to developing AI casual games, such as Snoop Dogg game mentioned in the announcement. Other retained projects include the mobile game March of Giants, a new Tomb Raider title under a publishing agreement, and an open-world driving game. New World: Aeternum's Own Problems New World: Aeternum received significant resources from the company from the outset, boasting top game developers and a highly skilled workforce. It garnered tremendous attention before its release, even reaching a peak of 1 million players at launch. However, due to management issues, New World: Aeternum was practically a half-finished product upon launch, suffering from optimization problems and insufficient content, leading to a significant loss of players. After reaching a peak of 1 million players at launch, the game's player base never returned to that level. Although Season 10 performed well and player numbers rebounded somewhat, in the long run, the game failed to achieve the expected commercial success. Player Reactions And Impact On The Game New World: Aeternum Season 10 was actually of high quality. Its content design was excellent, and the combat system had no major bugs. The main problem was insufficient loot, forcing players to repeatedly farm ECRS in the late game. However, knowing the game had no future, most players lost the motivation to continue playing, because the core appeal of MMOs lies in a continuously developing and evolving world. Soon, you'll see the in-game economy (trading, auction house, guild activity) weaken due to the reduced player base, and community activities, group raids, and PvP participation decline. And this current news may very well cause a temporary rebound in player numbers. Because players eager to enjoy the final season might return early or speed up their play, if you want to have a blast before the final moments arrive, it is the perfect time to squander your New World coins and items. Potential Endings The game is still running, and New World: Aeternum's fate isn't necessarily sealed. There are two possible outcomes: The game remains in maintenance mode until the servers shut down. The game's IP might be sold to a third-party company. However, this essentially means its parent company will no longer develop MMOs. Currently, the entire game industry, especially the high-cost, high-risk MMO sector, is in a very unstable and pessimistic period. Most successful MMOs are currently based on existing IPs, and it's difficult for entirely new IPs to break through and achieve success. New World: Aeternum's early setbacks and its current ending exacerbate this predicament. New World: Aeternum isn't the best, nor is it the worst MMO. Its focus on PvP and combat gameplay is unique among MMOs, but unfortunately, it's now lying in a coffin awaiting burial. If you still love this game, then this is its last moment of glory. Enjoy the game.