TL;DR
- Complete ‘The Strider of the Sands’ quest to access Brimstone Sands expansion content
- Focus on Expertise and Gear Score progression through targeted activities and Gypsum utilization
- Master chest run routes in elite zones for consistent high-tier loot acquisition
- Utilize weekly mutations in expeditions for legendary gear and enhanced rewards
- Combine PvP and PvE activities for optimal Gypsum farming efficiency
- Join organized groups for elite area clears and mutation expeditions to maximize success rates
Reaching level 60 in New World marks the beginning of your true adventure, not the end. The game transforms from a leveling experience to a rich endgame ecosystem filled with challenging content, rewarding progression systems, and strategic depth that will test your skills and dedication. While many players wonder what comes next after hitting the cap, the reality is that your journey has only just begun with a wealth of activities designed specifically for max-level characters.

Brimstone Sands represents the pinnacle of current endgame content, introduced in October 2023 as a desert expansion teeming with ancient mysteries and formidable challenges. To gain entry to this dangerous region, you must first complete the main storyline quest “The Strider of the Sands,” which provides essential protection against the scorching environment. This sunblock potion mechanic creates a natural progression gate that ensures players are adequately prepared for the increased difficulty.
Quest Requirements: The access quest becomes available upon reaching level 60 and completing previous main story arcs. The preparation phase typically takes 2-3 hours for properly geared players.
New Content Overview: Beyond the initial entry barrier, Brimstone Sands introduces two major endgame activities: the Helios dungeon and Sulfur Pools elite area. Both offer unique mechanics that require coordination and strategic thinking, moving beyond simple combat encounters to puzzle-solving and environmental awareness.
Strategic Entry Tips: Before venturing into Brimstone Sands, ensure your Gear Score reaches at least 550 through earlier endgame activities. The region features verticality in design, requiring careful navigation and awareness of elevation-based threats.
Understanding the distinction between Expertise and Gear Score is fundamental to efficient endgame progression. Expertise functions as your character’s proficiency with specific weapon types and armor slots, directly influencing the effectiveness of equipped items regardless of their inherent quality. This system ensures that player skill development remains relevant alongside equipment upgrades.
System Fundamentals: Both systems operate on a 500-600 scale, with each point representing tangible power increases. The most common mistake new level 60 players make is focusing exclusively on one system while neglecting the other, resulting in suboptimal performance.
Optimization Strategies: Target your weakest Expertise slots first rather than spreading efforts evenly. Focused improvement in specific categories yields faster overall power gains than distributed effort.
Common Progression Mistakes: Many players waste resources attempting to upgrade gear beyond their current Expertise cap, resulting in diminished returns on investment.
Activities that provide Expertise bumps include corrupted breaches (offering 3-5 points per major clear), outpost rush (consistent 2-3 points per completion), and daily faction missions. A balanced approach combining these activities typically yields 15-20 Expertise points weekly for active players.
Advanced Tactics: Once your Expertise reaches 590+, shift focus to targeted Gypsum farming for the final push to 600.
Gear Score progression follows a different optimization path. The most efficient method involves identifying target items with optimal perk combinations rather than simply chasing the highest possible score. A 595 Gear Score item with perfect perks often outperforms a 600 Gear Score item with suboptimal attributes.
Gypsum represents one of the most efficient systems for targeted Expertise improvement, allowing players to bypass RNG in specific slot progression. This resource enables strategic character development rather than relying solely on random drops.
Gypsum Types and Sources: Different activities yield specific Gypsum variants: Obsidian from expeditions, Sapphire from outpost rush, Ruby from PvP arenas, and additional types from trade skill aptitude chests and corrupted breaches.
Crafting Efficiency: The most overlooked aspect of Gypsum utilization is the time investment optimization. Some sources provide significantly better time-to-gain ratios than others.
Advanced Gypsum Tactics: For maximum efficiency, prioritize Gypsum sources that align with your preferred playstyle while maintaining diversity to avoid activity burnout.
Each Gypsum Cast requires 10 units of the same type, making focused farming more effective than diversified collection.
Daily Rotation Strategy: Plan your Gypsum farming around daily resets rather than attempting marathon sessions. The sweet spot for daily Gypsum collection is typically 4-6 casts, representing 40-60 Expertise points monthly if maintained consistently.
Expert players recommend creating a weekly Gypsum schedule that incorporates 2-3 different source types to maintain engagement while maximizing gains.
Common Pitfall: Many players waste Gypsum by using it immediately on random slots rather than saving for targeted upgrades on your most underdeveloped Expertise categories.
Chest runs and elite area clears represent the most reliable method for acquiring high Gear Score items and rare crafting materials. These activities combine exploration, combat challenge, and resource gathering in a rewarding gameplay loop.
Chest Run Fundamentals: Successful chest running requires understanding spawn timers, efficient route planning, and group coordination for optimal clears.
Zone-Specific Strategies: Different elite zones require adapted approaches based on enemy composition and environmental hazards.
Group Coordination Essentials: While solo chest running is possible, organized groups significantly increase efficiency and safety. The most profitable routes typically combine multiple elite areas in sequence to maximize loot per time invested.
• Mines, Myrkgard, and Malevolence in Shattered Mountain
• Imperial Palace and Eternal Pool in Ebonscale Reach
• Mangled Heights and Scorched Mines in Great Cleave
• Siren’s Stand and Pools of Hope in Reekwater
• Helios and Sulfur Pools in Brimstone Sands
Advanced Route Optimization: Experienced players develop customized routes that account for server population density and personal playtime availability.
Common Mistakes: Many players attempt chest runs without proper consumables or with mismatched weapon setups, resulting in extended clear times and increased risk of failure.
Time Investment Returns: A well-executed chest run typically yields 8-12 high-tier items per hour, with occasional legendary drops from named elite enemies.
Expeditions provide structured group content with mechanics that demand coordination, communication, and role specialization. These instanced dungeons represent some of the most challenging and rewarding PvE experiences available.
Dungeon Mechanics: Each expedition features unique boss encounters with specific mechanics that require precise execution and adaptation.
• Garden of Genesis in Edengrove
• The Lazarus Instrumentality in Reekwater
• Tempest’s Heart in Shattered Mountain
• Barnacles and Black Powder in Cutlass Keys
Mutation Optimization: Weekly mutations introduce random modifiers that dramatically alter expedition dynamics. These changes require players to adapt their builds, strategies, and consumable usage accordingly.
Mutations rotate systematically, allowing players to prepare specific counter-builds and strategies in advance.
Loot Prioritization: The end bosses in mutated expeditions offer the highest probability for legendary weapon and armor acquisition.
Advanced Strategy: Successful mutation clears often require specialized team compositions and communication protocols that differ significantly from normal expedition runs.
Common Pitfall: Many groups fail mutation attempts due to inadequate preparation rather than lack of skill.
Time Commitment: A typical mutation clear takes 45-60 minutes for well-coordinated groups.
For players seeking to optimize their endgame experience, our Complete Guide provides additional context for similar progression systems in other games.
Mutations represent the pinnacle of endgame PvE content, offering both challenge and reward that scales with player dedication and skill development.
Beyond the core activities, several advanced strategies can significantly accelerate your endgame progression and enhance your overall experience.
Weekly Planning Strategy: Create a rotation that incorporates 2-3 major activity types to maintain engagement while maximizing efficiency gains across multiple progression systems simultaneously.
Resource Management: Efficient endgame play requires careful resource allocation between time, gold, and crafting materials.
Build Specialization: As you progress through endgame content, consider specializing your build around specific weapon combinations and attribute distributions that complement your preferred playstyle and group role.
Community Engagement: Joining active companies and discord communities provides access to organized runs, experienced mentors, and trading networks that can dramatically improve your progression rate.
For players interested in expanding their knowledge of class-based progression, our Class Guide offers valuable insights into role optimization that translate well to New World’s classless system with weapon-based specialization.
Advanced Weapon Unlock Strategies: Similar to systems found in other games, targeted progression requires understanding synergies between different activity types and reward structures.
Action Checklist
- Complete ‘The Strider of the Sands’ quest and prepare Brimstone Sands entry
- Establish daily Gypsum farming routine targeting 4-6 casts daily
- Join scheduled chest run groups for Shattered Mountain and Ebonscale Reach
- Complete at least one expedition daily, focusing on mechanics mastery
- Participate in weekly mutation expeditions for legendary loot chances
- Optimize build based on weekly mutation modifiers and loot priorities
- Review and adjust weekly activity rotation based on progression metrics
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