Asmongold blasts MMO devs for “handicapping” players as New World plans leak

In the wake of his extensive criticism of Amazon Game Studio’s new ‘New World’ project, Twitch streamer Asmongold has expressed real concern over the future of the MMO genre.

When Asmongold has an issue with something, it’s safe to say he doesn’t miss and hit the wall with his points.

The Twitch streamer has garnered a fearsome reputation over the years and has even taken on Blizzard themselves over the future of their iconic titles, World of Warcraft and WoW Classic.

Next on the list, though, is Amazon Game Studio’s flagship MMO, New World. Asmongold really isn’t a fan.

Asmongold slams New World

In a Twitlonger entitled “New World, same s**t,” the streamer delves into much more detail that we’ve seen previously on-stream.

If you thought his words on camera were harsh, then boy you better strap yourselves in.

His main complaint about the title is the concept of microtransactions. These in-game expenditures plan to include everything from XP and Level boosts to fancier gear for your character.

Writing that purchasable content “shouldn’t be anywhere NEAR the launch or even within 6 months of release, more like an entire year,” he continues that if “Amazon Game Studios wants to make a real game they can’t design it with artificial roadblocks.”

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Slamming the decision, he states: “Planning boosts before release isn’t good enough and you know it. That’s why you hid it behind an NDA. That’s why when you tried justifying it on social media you got ratioed into oblivion to the point you had to change your social media strategy into just saying thank you for the feedback.

“Here is my feedback”, he concludes. “If you put out a game that’s designed on release to be in managed decline, I’m not going to play it. I’ve been waiting years for a game that’s worthy of wasting my life on again which is precisely why I say this. I won’t do the remnants of our neglected community the disservice of playing and promoting dogs**t.”

Concerns for future MMOs

It’s not just New World that he’s sceptical about, though, it’s the future of the MMO genre. With microtransactions becoming commonplace within the genre’s staple games, he says: “We really just can’t catch a break, can we?”

“Every time a company gets away with this, handicapping players and then selling them solutions becomes further normalized in gaming.”

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Both Asmongold and the wider community have made it known that they are sick of microtransactions, and their inclusion will deter players entirely.

It will be interesting to see if Amazon Game Studios adapt their design to veer away from them. To borrow Asmongold’s words, “New World stands on a razor’s edge,” but for some, it appears the future of MMOs does too.