Wondering which faction you should pick in New World? New World servers are finally live, and we expect an influx of players to arrive on the shores of the open-world MMO. If you’re unfamiliar with Amazon’s new game, there’s a few things that distinguish it from your usual MMO game; there are no classes, you can only have one character per server, and the player base is split into three factions: Marauders, Syndicate, and Covenant.
The faction you choose has a big impact on your gameplay. After selecting one, you cannot join a different faction for the next 120 days, and you are restricted to joining companies – guilds, essentially – that match your faction. If you opt-in to New World PvP, you can be attacked by players of rival factions while outside safe areas.
You also represent your faction in Wars, 50v50 PvP battles, over control of a settlement. The winner gets to be in charge of the settlement’s development and tax rates, and also receives buffs in the local area. So, there are plenty of reasons to pledge your allegiance – but how do you decide on your New World faction?
How to pick a faction in New World
In order to pick a faction, you must reach level 10, and complete a series of beginner quests. After speaking to each of the three faction representatives in your local settlement and completing their introductory quests, you can then choose one to join.
If you’re playing with a group of people, or know any players who have already chosen a faction, we strongly recommend you choose the same one – unless you want to fight against them, of course. You can only join companies that belong to your faction. If you don’t know anyone else playing and want to be part of a community, keep an eye out for companies that are recruiting members.
Understandably, players probably want to be a part of the largest or second-largest faction on the server – if there’s a faction that is much smaller than the others, they might end up with the scraps while the other two duke it out. Apparently, there are ‘underdog mechanics’ that prevent one faction from falling too far behind, but it’s not clear what these are quite yet.
Read more: Our New World beginner’s guide
It’s difficult to predict which faction will be dominant in your chosen server, so we recommend you choose the faction you prefer the lore and feel of.
Can you change your New World faction?
Yes, you can change your faction in New World. However, you cannot change to the faction that holds the most territory, and you can only change once every 120 days – still a substantial commitment, but a little less daunting than being locked in forever.
New World factions
The factions in New World are:
Marauders
Marauders are a ‘ruthless military force’ who seek to use their strength to obtain freedom. If you’re looking to flex your muscles and strongarm your way to the top, Marauders is the place for you.
Covenant
The Covenant are a ‘fanatical order’ on a mission to cleanse the land of impurities and heretics and restore justice. If you enjoy being holier-than-thou and smiting sinners, Covenant is the team to join.
Syndicate
The Syndicate is a ‘secretive organisation of boundless guile and intellect’ – if you prefer skulking around obtaining secrets behind everyone’s backs, you’re in good company with them.
You’re now ready to make the big decision – best of luck in your adventuring in Aeternum. If you’re in need of more guidance, we’ve got a guide to the best New World weapons – and if you’re planning on teaming up, here’s how to play with friends in New World.
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