New World: Aeternum's open beta is now live, opening the floodgates before next month's launch, giving players across all platforms a chance to check out what's new with the MMO's refresh.
The open beta marks the first time New World is playable to the wider console audience (there was a closed open beta previously), and it's the first time existing PC players can see exactly what to expect when the Aeternum update replaces their existing game on October 15th. The beta is crossplay with each platform, allowing PC, Xbox and PlayStation players to group and quest together.
It's being described as a "taste" of what's to come by Amazon, the New World: Aeternum Open Beta lets players play through the main story questline up through level 30, as well as take on other players in the PvP 3v3 Arenas, and even test out the open world PvP systems over territory. New World's Amrine Excavation Expedition is also playable in the Open Beta.
Amazon also states that while progression on a character won't carry over to the live game, any rewards unlocked for participating in the beta will, including exclusive titles and cosmetics for hitting milestones throughout the weekend.
We had the chance to check out the open beta ahead of this weekend's access during a creator and press early access event. While I'm cautiously optimistic that console fans will latch onto the MMO once it hits consoles, I still wonder exactly whether this release will alleviate the tension between Amazon Games Orange County and its PC fanbase, which feels somewhat left in the cold after months of no real content updates. It'll be interesting to see player response after the beta.
