Since its launch on Tuesday, Amazon's MMORPG New World has seen quite literally overwhelming popularity. Despite having doubled server numbers since release, the publisher is now asking for new fans logging into the game for the first time to find and join low-capacity servers in the game while it looks to cut down on huge queue times.
As shared in an update on Twitter (below), the development team spoke further about how players could avoid New World's existing queue times – primarily, that's done by choosing to become part of less popular server, rather than jumping into an already-packed world and waiting to get in.
A message from the New World Team regarding launch, world queues, and character transfers. pic.twitter.com/wDSrlT8w93
— New World (@playnewworld) October 1, 2021
"Our team has been working around the clock to add as many servers as we can and will continue to do so until we stabilize wait times," says Amazon. "While we do that work, there are options to get into the game quickly. If you are a player logging in for the first time, forty percent of our live servers have low or no wait times. We encourage you to seek those servers out and get playing."
For existing players, that's a little harder. While Amazon says that is currently working on a feature that will allow you to transfer your character to a different server in order to more easily play with friends, this currently isn't possible in the game. The company has stated that it is aiming to bring this feature to fans next week but, in the meantime, players already registered in oversubscribed servers have few options but to wait for Amazon to increase capacity and hope that newer players don't add to their already existing wait times.
The wait times for New World speak volumes about the game's staggering popularity since launch. The new MMO has already become the most played game of 2021 with an all-time player count peak more than 200,000 players higher than Valheim’s, which previously held the record. On launch day itself, Amazon says that over a million players entered the game while the most recent statistics published on SteamDB show that despite issues with servers, the game has garnered an impressive new high of 758,543 concurrent players.
This might not come as a surprise to fans who had been following the game prior to launch. The game's open beta featured its own successful stint on Steam when it ran back in July. For Amazon, New World offers a heartening yet stark contrast to the company's previously published works in the gaming sphere. Prior to New World, the studio's last efforts came in the form of Crucible, a free-to-play multiplayer third-person shooter that's servers were shut down in November following a reasonably poor run on Steam.
If you're currently thinking about diving into New World, make sure to check out our review in progress for the game. Alternatively, if you're currently sat waiting in one of New Worlds server queues, then why not pass the time by checking our dedicated New World wiki, which includes a range of information useful for getting started on the shores of Aeternum.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.