Amazon's New World Goes Live, Already Has Over Half a Million Players

After more than one delay and plenty of changes made based on feedback from players, New World from Amazon Games has finally gone live this week. Throughout the game's multiple preview opportunities for players to participate in, it seems to have attracted quite the following already as well. Not long after its launch, New World already appears to have hit a significant milestone with well over 500,000 active players recorded in the game at one time.

The exact number of players in New World right now is 559,427, according to SteamDB. That number will probably change before this is published, too, because it's already been steadily increasing every to set new peak records for New World since the game launched. That means around 560,000 players are currently chopping wood, fishing, and fighting each other while they grind out a new virtual life in Amazon's MMO.

While being able to put up these kinds of numbers would be impressive for any new game, they're particularly impressive for New World for a number of reasons. For one, it appears New World might be Amazon's first big success in terms of new games. Amazon's Lord of the Rings MMO was cancelled before it could ever be released, and Crucible's poor launch, return to beta, and eventual shutdown were well-documented events. With at least the start of New World, the game appears to be a victory on the first day.

It's also worth noting that New World is not a free game like many that release nowadays. You can purchase the deluxe edition if you want to start it with a bit more content, but for those who just want to play New World at all, it's got a $39.99 price tag.

Though the game's currently got mixed reviews on Steam, it's easy to see the appeal of it just from looking at a trailer or an overview. While it's got the appearance first of a sword and shield-style MMO, it allows players to use magic, firearms, and more combat proficiencies. It's also got both PvE and PvP options for those who want to either just finish up some quests with others or do battle with players.

If you're planning on hopping into New World this week, however, you might want to get ready for a wait. The New World social accounts acknowledged long wait times and delays players might experience while they try to hop into the game, but in the meantime, you can consult the server list shared previously to figure out which world you and your friends will be inhabiting.