Get Ready To Test New World’s May Update On The PTR, This One Has A Ton Of PvP Changes

Today, Amazon kicked off another round of testing on the New World PTR, offering players a chance to poke around in upcoming features. Of course, they remind everyone that what they see in the PTR may not be exactly what they get when the new update launches in May.

A big focus of the may update is PvP, particularly the 3v3 PvP Arenas and the rewards. 3v3 arenas are a new small-scale mode in which two teams will compete in "best of five" contests. Each round is about 2 minutes long and to ensure players get out on time, they’re going to pull one of those "you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here" things with a ring of fire that’ll push everyone to the center.

The PvP reward rack is also getting some love with the addition of new currencies; PvP XP and Azoth Salt. Both are earned in PvP activities, although Bonus Azoth Salt can be earned for earning XP while being flagged for PvP. The XP is what players will need to work their way through the rewards track. For every third notch on the track, they’ll be able to purchase one of three rewards using the Azoth Salt. That’s also the point where players will level up.

Testing will also involve general combat changes, new expedition mutators, and the continuation of the Varangian Knights story – recommended for players level 25-30. Oh, and players should also notice an interesting new feature in chat. Now, the player's chosen pronouns will appear in the chat, particularly when doing things like using emotes. A full rundown of all the changes is available on the New World site, along with information on how to access the PTR.