Amazon is back with another New World video, this one with a Q&A on season nine, which is launching next week. Although really, the questions are more focused on the longer-term roadmap, which is maybe better because S10 looks awesome. We’ve compiled some of the highlights:
The devs see the “endgame loop” as both emergent PvP and more finite, completable PvE. They are aware that some people do not want to engage in repeatable PvE, but they also think S10 will address that with gearing systems that will make players want to actually collect different (not just better) gear.
Amazon’s PS+ promo is “doing way better than [the team’s] wildest expectations,” according to live ops game producer Tracy Kennedy. The devs say they are focused on re-engagement of past players with new and better content.
Cozy systems are something the devs want to do. Farming is still being prototyped.
The team is committed to releasing new weapons more often. There are three in development right now. Refreshes of old weapons are on hold while the progression overhaul is ongoing, but life staff is probably next up.
The PvP rewards track will eventually be updated to include better PvP gearing (so that PvP players don’t have to engage in as much PvE).
Yes, Barebones is returning in S9 as a limited time event. There’s no plan for a solo queue for OPR. Here the devs address turning off OPR to funnel players into arenas and Capture the Flag at the start of S9. That’s apparently only going to last a week and a half.
One player asked about players leaving during S9 over the lack of content; the devs push back and list off the PvP content, event, and world bosses during the season, thought they acknowledge its lighter in content than past seasons, but that also means S10 will be heavier.
As for the season servers, don’t expect them back until the devs have shored up the base game. “Core game is the most important thing,” Amazon says, and it doesn’t really want to split the playerbase. That said, it sounds like the devs have some ideas for the future, so it might not be dead forever.
Amazon is planning some restructuring for low-pop worlds and regions. Merges are coming too, “shortly after the start of season 9.” No fresh start servers in S10, and the fresh start server tags will be removed from existing servers soon.
It sounds as if we’re getting more details on a business model transition in September. No details on what that’ll entail, but the OG question was about a possible F2P shift and/or paid content.
Shared crafting storage is in the “near future” – at some point after S10.
The devs are aware that New World’s pattern has been a big fall release and then a dropoff; they are indeed working for major content for the season after the big S10 release.
More feminine gear and and a more feminine idle pose are en route in S9.
The devs aren’t going to remove the potion nerf, but they are planning perk-oriented choices and methods to boost survivability that aren’t just consumables.
Finally, someone asked about the theme of future DLC: “The endgame cutscene hints at vampires and werewolves in what appears to be the mid 1800s. Are there any plans to use this? A Victorian-era DLC would absolutely slap especially with the monsters that were mentioned.” I half expected the devs to lower everyone’s expectations with their answer to this one, but uh… the grins on their faces as they pretend it’s the first time they’ve heard it and talk about how cool it would be, how they’d play it, and how badass werewolves and vampires are. Pretty big hint there, fam.
In other New World news, those merges mentioned in the video are indeed coming after the S9 launch. Wars end July 27th, and move day is July 30th. [Update: A dev post this afternoon stresses that “the AP Southeast and SA East regions will be joining the US West region” with no significant hit to latency, and that “[p]latform-exclusive Xbox worlds will be merged into [a] regional cross-play environment,” while all PlayStation worlds will be merged into a single remaining PlayStation-exclusive server.
