Fans of Amazon Games’ New World have discovered that while swimming in the game isn’t yet possible, walking underwater is an option. The game is an MMORPG set in the fantasy world of Aeternum, and is already proving to be a hit with New World seeing over half a million players on its launch day earlier this month.
New World is an open-world adventure that tasks players shipwrecked on the island of Aeternum with survival, foraging, and battling, with both PvE and PvP combat available. Players can survive using the game’s arsenal of weapons, including melee, ranged artillery, and otherworldly powers. The new release’s popularity has overwhelmed servers, with many unable to access the game due to long waits. Developer Amazon Games Orange County is expected to find a fix soon, ensuring all players of the game will be able to uncover the many secrets the world has to offer. With lots to explore and experience, New World is already proving to be one of the most popular new IPs of the year.
Despite its popularity, New World isn’t a perfect game with many players calling out the lack of swimming. The game includes multiple bodies of water, yet players aren’t able to swim, with the game lacking the option and animations. As reported by PCGamer, the game appears to be prepared for a swimming feature, and even offers a breath meter when players enter deep enough water. Oddly, while no New World inhabitants have the swimming skill, they are instead able to walk underwater. When water goes above players’ heads, they’re still able to continue walking despite being submerged, though this will soon lead to drowning. The phenomenon has been outlined in a video by YouTuber Ordinary Sense.
Watch the video on YouTube here.
The lack of swimming is an interesting choice for New World, as the feature is fairly common within similar open-world survival games. Traditionally, games that don’t have swimming will stop players from entering water that’s too deep, and the fact New World doesn’t have this could suggest that swimming was originally intended for the game’s release. The inclusion of a breathing meter also suggests the feature may have been in development at one point, despite not making it to launch. It’s possible swimming will be added in a future game update.
The strange underwater walking has already become something of a meme among New World fans, with players mocking the lack of swimming across social media. Lots of bodies of water in New World tend to be on the shallower side, though there are plenty of areas in which players can give underwater walking a try. The game’s developer hasn’t yet addressed the situation.
New World is available on PC via Steam and Amazon.
