New World update brings AFK changes and bug fixes ahead of server transfers

After going silent for a few days, the developers behind New World have announced a new update for the game. While this update doesn't bring the server transfers we were promised last week, Amazon does say that it lays the groundwork for them. Instead, what we're getting in this update are a bunch of fixes, a couple of quality of life changes, and some changes to New World's AFK detection system.

The patch notes for New World update 1.0.1 mostly comprise bug fixes, but there are some general changes that players should know about too. For starters, Amazon has changed how turret projectiles work in war; previously, they were physical projectiles, but they'll use hitscan detection post-patch. This, Amazon says, should cut down on the number of objects spawned in the world, which should reduce the lag players experience during wars.

Amazon is also using this patch to implement the AFK changes it announced over the weekend. While we still don't get to know specifics about the tools it's using to catch players who attempt to sidestep AFK detection, Amazon says those tools are being implemented with this update. We're also told that the AFK warning message will now be shown after 15 minutes of inactivity (previously it was 20), and AFK players will be kicked after 20 minutes of inactivity instead of 25.

Finally, Amazon has implemented a small change to the world queue screen, adding a confirmation message when players attempt to leave the queue. If you've ever mistakenly left the queue for your server, then this new confirmation screen should help prevent that in the future.

The rest of the patch comprises bug fixes, including quest fixes and some AI tweaks that, in particular, change the rate at which several enemies spawn. Sorry, Pastor Walsh farmers, but it looks like he will spawn less frequently after this patch. Amazon says that more information about server transfers is coming later this week, so we'll update you when we hear more, but in the meantime, look for this patch to be live once server maintenance ends today.