One of the biggest choices facing you in Amazon’s new MMO is which New World faction to join.
Joining a faction is vital if you want the most out of New World’s PvP system. While your day-to-day activities won’t change much, your role on the continent and how much influence — and how many enemies — you have will.
li>New World factions explained
New World which faction to join | What are factions in New World
New World factions exist to govern the continent. Each faction’s end goal is conquering as much territory as possible, and while these groups have in-game lore reasons for pursuing these dreams, the practical benefits are what matter the most.
Factions offer buffs in their territories, which means you’ll have an easier time with any enemies encountered on your home turf. Factions also get to set tax rates in their borders and have general administrative oversight over what happens there.
Adding more territory to your faction means engaging in a bit of subterfuge and warfare. New World lets you fight other factions for land control, but only if you’ve undermined them first. Undermining involves taking on Faction Missions, where you’ll either do routine PvE things such as fighting enemies or PvP tasks that leave you open to challenges from other players.
The PvP element extends beyond undermining. Players from rival factions can attack you outside your safe zones, and your faction can engage in 50 v 50 warfare with rival groups.
Factions also have companies that function like guilds in other MMOs, but these have no effect on your moment-to-moment action.
Finally, every faction has unique equipment you can purchase with faction currency earned from completing PvE missions. The benefit of faction gear is mostly cosmetic. No faction equipment offers any tangible benefit over what another faction has for sale.
New World which faction to join | How to join factions in New World
You’ll need to reach level 10 before the option to join factions opens, and there’s a set of starter quests to complete once you pick your faction. You can switch factions after 120 days if you decide you want out, but New World won’t let you defect to the strongest faction.
The three factions to choose from are:
- The Syndicate: A secret organization that wants to create enlightenment through forbidden knowledge.
- The Covenant: A zealous faction determined to promote holiness by removing heretics.
- The Marauders: A military faction devoted to creating freedom through conquest.
New World which faction to join | The best New World faction
The answer to which faction to join is: it doesn’t really matter. Joining the larger faction initially is a good starting point, since it gives you a chance to see how things work and whether the buffs make a significant enough difference to your playstyle.
If you’re wanting more of a challenge, consider picking the mid-sized or smaller faction, though. It’s a better way to get the most out of your faction, since your faction missions serve a bigger purpose in the struggle to turn the tables.
Amazon also teased an underdog system that gives weaker factions a boost of some kind. It didn’t debut in the beta, but it’s supposed to keep you from being at a significant disadvantage when opposing factions control too much land.
If you’re still getting used to how things work in New World, check out our overviews for where to find rare items such as Fae Iron, Saltpeter, and Petal Cap. Some of the bosses you’ll face for quests aren’t the easiest to track down either, including Boatswain Ambrose.