New World endgame content: things to do when you hit Level 60
Does life on Aeternum truly begin at 60?
What is there to do once you reach the endgame in New World? Currently at least, New World has a level cap of 60. There's a debate among MMO fans as to whether reaching the endgame should be the whole point of playing, or if it's really just a nice bonus after you've finished the satisfying business of levelling your character up from nothing. Whichever opinion you hold, most can agree that it's nice to have something to keep you coming back to the game that you've spent all those hours mastering.
We've only just begun to scratch the surface of New World's endgame content ourselves, but on this page we've put together a brief overview of everything we know about so far. We'll keep it updated with more details as we uncover them!
New World endgame content: Outpost Rush
As we've previously mentioned in our guide to New World's various PvP options, Outpost Rush is a 20v20 PvPvE mode designed specifically for endgame players. Locked off to everyone but those who've achieved Level 60, Outpost Rush is more of a balancing act than earlier game modes, requiring you to participate in PvP fighting to capture and defend objectives while simultaneously gathering resources to keep your characters healthy and battle-ready. Fittingly for the game's flagship endgame content, it feels like a culmination of everything you've learned to do in New World so far.
New World endgame content: Expeditions and Arenas
Expeditions are five-player PvE dungeons that start unlocking once you hit Level 25, but achieving Level 60 opens up the final two: the Garden of Genesis in Edengrove and the Lazarus Instrumentality in Reekwater. Epic and Legendary gear drops are included in the rewards for completing these dungeons — though if you've got a particular legendary weapon in mind, you're better off crafting it yourself via quests (see below), since specific drops aren't guaranteed.
A January 2022 update added a few more dimensions to Expeditions, including Expedition Mutators, which add semi-randomised complications to the behaviours of both normal and named enemies you encounter during Expeditions. Each week will see a new set of challenges rotated in, with 10 difficulty levels for you to work your way through for each Expedition Mutator. Mutated versions of Expeditions will require a codex to open, so you won't find yourself encountering these variations unless you decide you're ready for a new challenge. Completing a Mutated Expedition will reward you with a new resource type, Umbral Shards, which can be used to upgrade your gear beyond the previous score cap.
Unlike the final Expeditions, Arenas aren't technically locked off as endgame content, as you can access them any time if you have the right key. However, they're extremely tough PvE challenges (with appropriately Epic and Legendary weapon and armor rewards to match) and each key is single-use, so holding off on them until the endgame is generally considered quite a good idea.
New World endgame content: legendary weapons
You can get your hands on some Legendary Weapons before Level 60, but you need to have hit the level cap for the chance to choose your legendary weapon, instead of relying on random drops.
To embark on a legendary weapon quest you need to be at max level, and you also need to have Level 20 mastery on a weapon before you can embark on a quest to unlock its legendary form. Once you meet these conditions, you can travel to the Mountainhome region and talk to an NPC named Eintou Madaki to embark on a quest to locate all the components you need to forge a legendary weapon. With seven parts to each legendary weapon quest and 11 weapon types in the game, upgrading your armory to the maximum possible levels can be quite a significant endgame challenge, and even just focussing on your favourites should keep you occupied for a good while.
New World endgame content: improved gear drops and mini-bosses
In addition to the endgame-exclusive content listed above, hitting Level 60 will give you access to the following bonuses when taking part in activities you've been doing for a while:
- Faction Gear: At Level 60 and with your Faction tier maxed out, you can purchase high-end Faction gear, which costs both Faction Tokens and gold.
- Wars, Invasions, and Corrupted Breaches: Participating in PvP Wars and PvE Invasions or Corrupted Breaches once you reach Level 60 ensures that you'll earn Azoth, gold, and high-end gear for taking part.
- Elite Enemies: These named mini-bosses can crop up on the map in high-level areas at any point so they aren't technically exclusive to the endgame, but due to their hard-as-nails nature, realistically it takes a group of max-level players to take one down.
You've got a long road ahead of you if you want to hit New World's level cap, so check out our guide to levelling quickly and efficiently for tips on how to get there sooner. Having a character whose strengths match your playstyle will be a significant factor, too, so be sure to have a look at our suggestions for the best character builds in New World as well.