This is a guide on the new December Public Test Realm (PTR) update for New World, released on December 3, 2021. Read on for a complete list of all the new content featured in the December PTR update, as well as how to join in this new round of the PTR.

How to Join the December PTR

Update the Existing PTR Client

For players with a downloaded PTR version of New World, the December Public Test Realm (PTR) is now available! The update was made public on December 3, 2021 at 10 AM PT (6 PM UTC).

As with the Into the Void PTR, there will only be 2 available worlds - one in the US East Region and the other in Central Europe.

Download the Public Test Realm Client via Steam

Players looking to join the PTR for the first time will have to download an entirely separate client of New World in order to access the new content. The PTR client should be present in player Steam Libraries if they already own New World.

December PTR Notes

Winter Convergence Festival

The Winter Convergence Festival is an upcoming Limited Time Event slated for New World's December content update. During this event, players take on the cause of the Winter Wanderer to collect Winter Tokens from repeatable events across the island, turning them in at a Holiday Shop to receive rare and cosmetic items.

Icy winds and the Winter Wanderer will bring with them new armors, weapons, furnishings, skins, consumables, and a Present Gifting emote; all themed off the wonderful Aeternum holiday of Winter Convergence!

New POIs: Winter Villages

The Winter Wanderer has set up four villages to facilitate the joy and cheer of Winter Convergence! Visit these villages in Everfall, Monarch’s Bluffs, Weaver’s Fen, and Brightwood to meet the Winter Wanderer and carry out his holiday quests!

Winter Convergence Activities

• The Convergence Spirit – A special Town Project that allows players to complete special Town Project Quests to upgrade each Settlements Tree of Light for improved daily rewards!
• Lost Present Recovery – Located throughout the world are Lost Presents to be recovered and turned in for Winter Tokens at the Winter Villages Holiday Huts.
• Gleamite Collecting – A new random, dynamic event that occurs at night throughout Aeternum. Keep your eyes and ears open as you search for locations where the showers are most prevalent. Exchange the harvested crystals for Winter tokens at the Winter Village Holiday Huts.

Ice Caves

Ice Caves are new areas that will appear all over Aeternum due to the Winter Limited Time Event. They are snowy and icy caves that the yeti use their powers to freeze up and make snow fall.

Note: According to the notes, these caves will remain behind after the limited time event as scars on the land, described as sources of wintry magic that refuse to melt even if the Warrior is defeated.

December PTR: New Content

New Quests

• New Winter Wanderer's quest series for the Convergence Festival.
• Several new side story territory quests offered in Restless Shore and Mourningdale.
• New quest series associated with Housing. After players have completed the Main Story Quest Encroaching Corruption, seek out Architect Giacomo Altoviti near your starting settlement to begin the quest series.
• Housing quest series – Further quests with Giacomo Altoviti will be unlocked as you level up and progress your Territory Standing.

New Journal Categories

• New quest categories have been added to the Journal for Epic Weapons and Armor quests and for Skill Progression quests.
• This update is accompanied by new map pins for all quest types.

December PTR: New Features

Expertise & Gypsum System

This new feature is an update to the High Water Mark (HWM) system for New World's end-game. Instead of Water Marks, the Expertise & Gypsum system has been implemented in the December PTR for testing and feeback.

• Renamed High Water Mark to Expertise.
• The current Expertise level (water mark level) of each slot on your avatar is displayed by accessing the inventory, so players can easily track their progress.
• A level up banner now shows up anytime your Expertise level (water mark level) increases.
• New Resource: Gypsum – Can be acquired each day by doing a variety of activities (open world named bosses, expedition bosses, outpost rush, arenas, corrupted breaches, etc.).
• Each activity rewards a different type of Gypsum that can be crafted into a Gypsum Orb. These Orbs can then be crafted into Gypsum Casts of any weapon, armor or trinket type.
• Opening a Gypsum Cast will guarantee an expertise (water mark) bump and gear of that type.
• Added 2 new end game POIs where players can challenge themselves with difficult content and try to progress their Expertise with level 66 enemies and elite chests.
• Both Malovelence in Edengrove and the Imperial Palace/North Dynasty Shrine have been up-leveled to 66.

Trade Skill Aptitude

This new feature targets players with a level 200 trade skill. According to AGS, this new system offers progression even beyond the cap via a new reward cache called Aptitude Reward Caches.

• Upon reaching level 200 in a Trade Skill, the Leveling Circle will update to show 3 markers equidistant from each other on the circle.
• Earning Trade Skill XP will begin progressing you again, and when you reach one of these markers, you will be awarded with a container of useful items that are (mostly) trade skill relevant, such as Craft Mods, special ingredients, and even schematics and recipes!
• Each subsequent marker awards a more spectacular container with more rewards than the one before.
• Gaining enough XP to go all the way around the circle will increment the Aptitude Counter by 1. This counter will keep counting so you can keep track of how many times you’ve wrapped your progression around the top level.
• We have also introduced a new type of reward with this system: Equipment Patterns.
• Equipment Patterns are Crafting Artifacts that enable you to craft a guaranteed Gear Score 600 item that has a specific appearance.
• Patterns require a significant amount of powerful crafting resources to create, but guarantee a GS 600 item.
• *Patterns still roll perks and players have the normal amount of control over their outcome with Craft Mods and Azoth.
• Equipment Patterns have a small chance to drop from Arcana, Weaponsmithing, Armoring, and Engineering Aptitude Reward Caches.

PvP Balance Changes

Due to an issue in AGS' initial PvP damage formula that caused lower gear to be more beneficial in damage mitigation, the developers have updated the formula in the December PTR.

• Adjusted the way armor mitigation is calculated to use enemies gear score value instead of a player's average gear score.
• To adjust for the difference in armor mitigation we increased the damage low level players do to higher level players and reduced the damage the higher level players due to lower level players.
• Critical damage bonuses from masteries or perks are now applied additively instead of multiplicatively. On average, this will reduce the extra damage they provide by a small percentage.
• Buffer Windows: A general consistency pass has been done across all weapons to adjust the buffering windows for dodges, abilities and basic attacks.
• Updated buffer windows starts when the first frame of the attack that would deal damage or on the first casting frame in the case of abilities that do not deal damage.

New World Public Test Server FAQ

How do I to Access New World Public Test Realm? Can I Use or Transfer my Live Character to the PTR? Can I Provide Feedback Regarding PTR Content? Can I Contact Customer Support for PTR Problems? Can I Remove the PTR from the Steam Library?

How do I to Access New World Public Test Realm?

The New World PTR will appear automatically inside your Steam Library as a separate application from New World. Do note, this means that the PTR will be a separate client with its own disk space requirements.

Additionally, not all regions will be supported. Only the US East region and Central Europe will have an available PTR world, each.

Can I Use or Transfer my Live Character to the PTR?

According to AGS, players will not be able to use their existing characters when trying out the Public Test Realm (PTR). However, play testers will have the ability to instantly level up to any level range via in-game tools that the developers will provide.

Can I Provide Feedback Regarding PTR Content?

While appreciated, AGS has stated that everything in the PTR is in their final state of testing and bug-fixing. This means that content available there has already been finalized. Player feedback will focus mainly on bug reports rather than re-designs.

Players looking to provide feedback should do so in the New World Official Forums under the category Public Test Realm. To access the forums, players will need to create and use an Amazon account.

Can I Contact Customer Support for PTR Problems?

While the PTR falls under AGS' Code of Conduct, they have stated that it will be much harder to moderate given its unstable nature. Live support and customer support are unavailable when using the PTR.

Can I Remove the PTR from the Steam Library?

For players not looking to participate in the Public Test Realm, there is an option to hide the Steam application from your library. Simply right-click the application, select Manage, and click Hide this Game.

How to Restore Hidden Steam Application

If you change your mind and decide you want to participate in the PTR, you can un-hide the application by using the Steam library search bar to look for the application. After, simply right-click the application again, select Manage, and click Remove from Hidden.

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