New World Aeternum Leveling Guide: Fastest Ways to Reach Max Level
Leveling up a new character in New World Aeternum has undergone some major changes with the latest update. If you’re an experienced player, you might want to forget a lot of the old tricks you used to rely on, because the leveling experience has shifted dramatically. The main story quest (MSQ) now plays a far more significant role in your experience gain, while many side activities have taken a backseat due to a major rebalancing of XP rewards.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the new leveling mechanics, explore how to maximize your XP gains, and highlight the best side quests and rewards to pursue as you progress from level 1 to 65. Whether you’re fresh to New World or returning after some time away, this guide will help you navigate Aeternum’s revamped leveling landscape with confidence and efficiency.
Also Read: How to Upgrade Items in New World Aeternum?
Why Leveling is Different in New World Aeternum
The total experience points (XP) required to reach the new level cap of 65 have been adjusted to approximately 1,840,000 XP. This might sound like a lot, but what’s truly surprising is how the XP from main story quests has been drastically increased to offset this.
By analyzing the New World database and focusing on quests that offer more than 3,500 XP (to avoid cluttering the data with very low-value quests), it turns out that the main story quests alone provide about 1,405,220 XP. This means that just by completing these high-value main quests, you’re only around 400,000 XP short of the total needed to hit level 65.
Because the leveling curve is now more top-heavy, meaning the XP required increases sharply at higher levels, you’re essentially hitting around level 62 just by finishing the main story quests. Add in some of the smaller quests and activities you naturally encounter along the way, and you’re very close to max level without having to grind excessively.
How You Gain Bonus XP Along the Way
Leveling in New World Aeternum is more streamlined, but that doesn’t mean you only have to focus on the main story. The game cleverly rewards you for exploring and engaging with its world in multiple ways:
Territory Standing Gains: As you complete quests and activities in different regions, your standing with those territories increases, granting additional XP bonuses.
Discovering New Areas: The MSQ takes you all over the map, so you’ll naturally gain XP for uncovering new locations.
Killing Mobs: Many quests require you to defeat enemies, and the XP from these kills adds up, helping boost your level.
Collecting Lore Notes: These are scattered throughout the world and provide easy XP. You don’t even have to read them fully—just use the secondary interact button to collect them instantly for the bonus XP.
Faction and Side Quests: You’ll likely complete some faction missions and side quests during your journey, which add helpful XP and gear upgrades.
Temporary Area Events: These pop up randomly and offer XP and rewards if you participate.
Gathering and Crafting: Engaging with the crafting and gathering systems provides additional XP, giving you even more avenues to level up.
All these sources combined mean that optimizing your leveling by hunting down specific side quests likely isn’t worth the effort anymore. The game’s design encourages a more natural progression through content, rewarding exploration and engagement rather than grind-heavy, narrow XP farming.
Also Read: Everything to Know About New World Season Pass
What to Do While Leveling: Recommended Side Quests and Tools
Although the main story quest (MSQ) provides the bulk of your experience, a few standout side quests are well worth doing for the valuable rewards they offer, particularly when it comes to gathering tools and gear that will benefit you throughout your journey.
One of the most notable quests is Grizzly Neighbors in Brightwood, given by Holt Hutchison. This quest rewards you with the Bear Tooth, a skinning knife that includes the Skinning Yield and Earth Alignment perks. These make it significantly easier to collect resources and elemental motes during your early-game gathering runs. This quest becomes available after completing “The Gates of Great Cleave” and tasks you with hunting down grizzly bears in Greyvale.
Another valuable quest is Story of the Stones, offered by Architect Na Li in Weaver’s Fen. Completing it grants the Ancient Mining Pick, which comes with Mining Yield, Prospector's Discipline, and Azoth Extraction—three highly useful perks for mining-focused players. This quest is unlocked after finishing “The Corpse Crone” and involves collecting samples from ruins around the region.
In Brimstone Sands, the quest Honoring the 19th, given by Acario Clemon, is also worth your time. It rewards you with the Blade of the 19th, a solid legendary greatsword. The quest becomes available after completing “The Great Architect” and involves recovering items from the Corrupted 19th Legion.
Finally, there's The Silver Crows questline, which starts in Brimstone Sands and is offered by Grace O’Malley. This seasonal questline provides the Silver Crows Satchel, a Tier 5 bag with the highly desirable Lasting Consumption perk, which increases the duration of food and potions. While later parts of this questline may be outclassed by other endgame gear, the early rewards make it well worth doing during your leveling journey.
These quests aren’t mandatory for progression, but their rewards provide meaningful advantages in gathering, combat, and inventory management, especially for players looking to optimize their time in Aeternum.
Weapon Mastery While Leveling
Weapon mastery is another important aspect of character progression. A great tip is to participate in Influence Races with a party, especially if you use ranged weapons with area-of-effect abilities. This activity lets you gain weapon mastery quickly, speeding up the grind and allowing you to focus more on leveling your character rather than just grinding weapon XP.
Summary: What Should You Focus On?
To sum up, the main story quest is now the backbone of your leveling journey, providing the vast majority of the XP you need to reach level 65. Side quests that grant useful tools or weapons should be picked up when convenient, especially the ones that reward skinning knives, mining picks, and quality gear. Don’t forget to participate in seasonal content and influence races to maximize your experience and weapon mastery gains.
Exploration, territory standing, and natural engagement with the world’s systems will fill in the gaps, so there’s no need to hyper-optimize your leveling path. Instead, enjoy the journey through Aeternum’s beautiful and dangerous lands, knowing that the game’s design now supports a much smoother and more rewarding leveling experience.
Also Read: Which Faction Should You Join in New World: Aeternum?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much XP do I need to reach level 65 in New World Aeternum?
A: You’ll need approximately 1,840,000 XP to reach level 65. The main story quests alone provide around 1.4 million XP, meaning you’ll be close to max level just by following the MSQ.
Q: What is the fastest way to level up in New World Aeternum?
A: The fastest and most efficient method is to follow the main story questline. It provides the highest XP per time spent, and it naturally guides you through new zones, content, and features.
Q: Are side quests still useful while leveling?
A: Yes, but not for raw XP. A handful of side quests are worth doing for the valuable gathering tools, weapons, and bags they reward, which improve your overall efficiency and quality of life while progressing.
Q: Which side quests should I prioritize?
A: Some of the best side quests include Grizzly Neighbors (for a skinning knife), Story of the Stones (for a mining pick), Honoring the 19th (for a legendary greatsword), and The Silver Crows (for a satchel with the Lasting Consumption perk).
Q: How can I gain weapon mastery efficiently while leveling?
A: Participating in Influence Races is one of the best methods. Join a party and use area-of-effect weapons or abilities to tag mobs and farm weapon XP rapidly during these events.
Q: Do I need to grind mobs to level up anymore?
A: No, not unless you enjoy it. With how much XP the MSQ and other natural exploration elements provide, grinding mobs is no longer a core part of leveling. It can still help top off XP or farming specific drops.
Final Words
New World Aeternum’s revamped leveling system makes climbing the ranks smoother and more rewarding than ever. The main story quest is your best friend for XP, while thoughtfully chosen side quests and seasonal activities provide excellent rewards and bonuses. Embrace exploration and enjoy the natural flow of the game’s content, and you’ll find yourself at level 65 in no time.
Happy adventuring in Aeternum!
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