When Will Amazon Games Finally Make New World Free-To-Play!?

New World launched in 2021, and for a brief moment, it was one of the hottest games. On October 3 of that year, the buy-to-play MMORPG peaked at around 913,000 concurrent players. Hundreds of thousands of people were online at the same time, and servers were so overloaded that players were waiting hours just to log in. Fast forward to today, and New World averages around 10,000 active players on PC. That is roughly a 99% drop from its peak.

The hype burned out quickly thanks to content gaps, clunky endgame systems, and a string of rough design choices. But to their credit, Amazon Games did not abandon it. They pushed out major updates like Brimstone Sands, reworked early leveling to make the first few hours more engaging, and overhauled combat systems so that the game feels far more responsive. Rise of the Angry Earth completely reshaped endgame progression, and the upcoming Nighthaven expansion will be free for anyone who already owns the game. It feels like New World is in the best state its ever been, and only getting better. The only thing still holding it back from pulling in new players is that up-front price tag.

People who still play the game say New World has incredible value. Brimstone Sands was free, Nighthaven will be free if you already own the expansion, and microtransactions are mostly cosmetic with no pay-to-win elements. Long-time players often mention that they have spent under $100 across four years while racking up thousands of hours of playtime. That is almost unheard of in modern live-service MMOs. Compare that to Guild Wars 2, which is free-to-play but charges for every expansion, and you start to wonder why New World has not gone the same route.

This is why a free-to-play transition feels inevitable. The game is already built around a business model of cosmetics, battle passes, and seasonal content. Amazon would not need to overhaul its revenue streams. Removing the buy-in would be enough to get curious players to finally try it. A switch to free-to-play could flood the game with new accounts, breathe life into the starting zones, and create a loop where more players mean a healthier community, which means better retention and more battle pass sales.

Other MMOs have shown that this kind of move works. Guild Wars 2 went free-to-play years ago and still thrives thanks to expansion sales and its cosmetic store. Star Wars: The Old Republic lets you unlock every expansion just by subscribing once, which is still one of the best deals in the MMO genre. Even The Elder Scrolls Online and Black Desert Online regularly host free play events to hook new players and then convert them into paying customers. New World is in a perfect position to follow suit.

Do not wait too long, though, Amazon Games. Right now, there is genuine goodwill surrounding New World. Players say the game feels better than ever, and the October update promises a brand-new endgame progression system. Even I want to jump back in, and I have not touched the game in years. It is time to go free-to-play, so a massive wave of new players comes in as the fresh content hits. In another year or two, that excitement might fade.

As it stands, New World is already one of the best bargains in the MMO space. It has avoided the cash-grab tactics that sink other live-service games, given away major expansions, and delivered thousands of hours of entertainment for very little money. Going free-to-play would not just be the logical next step — it could transform New World from a great deal into one of the most popular MMOs on the market (again).