FromNew World’s launch in September 2021 through now, Amazon has been largely focused on polishing the MMO for a live audience. It hasn’t been an entirely optimal process, particularly in regard toNew World’s server issues and a diverse range of problems revolving around endgame balance. But Amazon is now ready to start looking towardNew World’s future. With that in mind,New World’s biggest content update yet, the Heart of Madness patch, has now been revealed.New World’s story at launch has loosely revolved around thecharacter of Isabella, easily the MMO’s most well-developed character. However, the story available inNew Worldas it is does not wrap up Isabella’s story, unsurprising given MMOs' tendency to leave storytelling open for future updates. Heart of Madness, however, throws that aside. Amazon says that a major facet of the update will be the conclusion of Isabella’s story. AsNew Worldplayers know, this confrontation should be significant.RELATED:New World Update Makes Endgame ChangesThe quest to end Isabella’s story will haveNew Worldplayers pursue her into theShattered Mountain. Befitting such a massive event inNew World’s story, the encounter with Isabella will come in the form of a new Expedition. Named The Tempest’s Heart, the Myrkgard Expedition will be some ofNew World’s highest level content. The five-man Expedition will be available for level 60 players and will require all players have a Gearscore of 550 or higher.
Another major addition with the Heart of Madness update is the introduction of a new weapon, the Blunderbuss. TheBlunderbuss is a ranged gundesigned with unique elements to set it apart from other weapons. Its kit is built to offer a mix of close-range mid-range combat, as well as high mobility to shift between the two distances. It’s also unique in that it’s the firstNew Worldweapon to scale based on Strength and Intelligence, which should pair well with a diverse range of builds.
Amazon is also planning to drop a diverse range of other changes with the Heart of Madness update. That includesbalance changes and bug fixes, as well as other new content including new encounters to discover across the world. Expect to hear more information about these changes once the patch arrives.
A release date for the Heart of Madness update has yet to be confirmed. WhatAmazondoes say is that the update will be arriving onNew World’s public test realm with March’s update. A final release date will likely depend on how testing goes, but may be nearer than some expect.
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