returning-to-new-world-brimstone-sands

A breakdown of what to expect when returning to New World and how best to navigate the servers.

Recently, the MMO community has been abuzz with the release of New World's first large expansion - the ancient Roman and Egyptian-themed Brimstone Sands. And with many hoping that this will be the magic spark to raise New World from its sarcophagus, the Halloween-adjacent release couldn't have been better timed. But there are still many wondering: is it worth returning to New World for Brimstone Sands alone?

From what we've seen so far, the New World expansion has at least been successful in reversing the death spiral that the Amazon Games MMO has been suffering for the last several months. Though it's still a far cry from the hype-fuelled heights of the million players that dove into Aeturnum on launch, Steam charts indicate that New World has reached around 65,000 peak players, which is around the same amount as there were in February 2022.

Speaking of which, there's an added incentive for any players thinking of returning to New World who created their account before 14th February. This comes in the form of at least two free server transfer tokens if they haven't already used one since launch.

In anticipation of the inevitable deluge of new and returning players, Amazon Games created some brand-new servers to help mitigate queues. Before the release of Brimstone Sands, Amazon Games released a 'heat map' of servers that might experience the highest traffic, suggesting that players transfer to some of the less populated zones with their friends to avoid queues. As such, returning players can see if they are eligible for server transfer tokens here.

Once they have landed in the new-New World, players can expect a pretty hefty collection of changes and exciting content. These include a new zone that is more than twice the size of Everfall, the new ancient Egyptian-inspired Ennead Expedition, and the highly anticipated Greatsword (emphasis on the 'great').

But it's not all about returning players. New players (or returning players picking up an alt) can also enjoy a revamped starting experience with new quests, a streamlined story, and zone upgrades.

Still not sure whether to return? Well, keep your eyes peeled, as MMOGames editor Alex will be diving in soon to give you his verdict on whether the heat of the Brimstone Sands can reignite an old flame.