New World launch patch notes: NPC respawn rates, Sole Survivor quest fix, more

New World, Amazon's long-awaited MMO, has finally been released on the morning of 28th September. Impatient players immediately rushed to be among the first to create their characters and secure the names they wanted to use, which has resulted in over 100,000 players currently waiting in queues, desperately trying to enter the game.

As promised by the developers the release of the game is accompanied by a launch patch, which aims to fix several alarming issues which have prevailed across several New World beta testings.

The Day 1 patch focuses exclusively on fixing bugs and other technical issues, and it contains no balance changes or new content.

The update fixes several Quest-related bugs, most notably the Windsward "Sole Survivor" quest which prevented players from progressing through the game's main story.

• Read more: New World performance issues: Guide how to boost FPS and fix stuttering

There are also several changes focused on a player's progression system, but the economy itself hasn't been changed, rather Day 1 patch is fixing some bugs, like the one which allowed players to duplicate items within Hotbars.

New World Day 1 patch notes

World Experience

World

• Fixed the following to respawn rates for named AI that are required for Quest completion:
  • Master Henry
  • Gheist Maliko
  • Pastor Walsh

Quests

• Fixed a bug that caused completing certain side quests could block players from being able to advance the quest “Corruption Encroaching”.
• Addressed an issue where by resetting “The Ritual” quest, players would lose the Heartgem needed to complete the quest.
• Updated Barkimedes quests to address an issue where players could leave mid-Expedition and stockpile quest items for extra quest turn-ins.
• Unlocked the Main Story Quests after “The Depths” Expedition – the Main Story will now take players all the way to Shattered Mountain.
• Various VO and Text fixes and tweaks.

Tech

• Fixed an issue in the Windsward “Sole Survivor” quest where sometimes the quest would not update when approaching the Watcher.
• Fixed an issue causing Hapless Howe animations to not play correctly.

AI

Notable Bug Fixes

• Fixed multiple bugs preventing AI from properly leashing or spawning in invalid areas

Combat

Notable Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that caused players to become permanently stuck in the exhausted state.
• Speed hack prevention added.
• Fixed an issue that caused War to get stuck in the setup phase.
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to receive PvP rewards from duels by drowning after the duel is complete.
• Fixed an issue that caused PvP flag to stay active in sanctuaries if the player dodge rolled across the border.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Iced Refresh perk from the Ice Gauntlet to activate from abilities other than the Mighty Spike ability.
• PVP damage scale adjusted to lessen the gap between high/low level players.

Economy/Progression/Rewards

Notable Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that allowed players to use the item hotbar to duplicate items.
• Fixed an issue that caused T4 and T5 Azoth Staves to be unavailable.
• Fixed an exploit where a War Declaration mechanic could be used to duplicate coin.
• Fixed an issue that caused a player’s PvP Reward Value did not reset if they respawned at a camp.
• Adjusted the “Recall” function in the Game Menu to enable players to recall to the Watchtower of the beach they started at. After binding to an Inn the Recall function will return players to that Inn.

UX/ UI / Social

Streamer Mode

• We added a new streamer mode that will allow streamers and players to hide notifications and avoid interaction with other players to improve their overall experience while playing the game.
• Players can turn on streamer mode in the following ways:
  • Slash commands in chat: /busy or /dnd
  • The new “Social” Tab in the Settings Menu

Polish and New Additions

• Reduced the number of days a governor has to be absent before a consul automatically replaces from 30 to 15 days.
• VOIP is now disabled for the first 3 hours after character creation to limit poor voice behavior.
• Activated Twitch Spotlight and Twitch Sub Army features.

Notable Bug Fixes

• Fixed an exploit that allowed players to take PvP missions without being flagged (via exploiting dueling)
• Fixed an exploit that allowed companies to be able to repeatedly declare war during the Invasion lockout period (but before the Invasion was scheduled) to duplicate coin from “refunded” war declaration costs.

• Read more: How to get the Waning Crescent Fire Staff in New World

If you need a refresher on New World, make sure to check out our guides for the game on our dedicated section. 

Featured image courtesy of Amazon Games.