Amazon Games is shaking things up in New World Season 9, by temporarily disabling Outpost Rush (OPR) and funneling players into the new Capture‑the‑Flag mode. According to a developer update shared via Discord and covered by Massively Overpowered, New World will suspend OPR from July 29 to August 8, ensuring players queue quickly into CTF matches when Season 9 launches on July 29.
Season 9—dubbed “Season of the Banner”—lands alongside a raft of PvP enhancements, including a fresh 3v3 Arena map called Verdant Court, revamped debuffs for free‑for‑all combat, and faster, more rewarding loot mechanics. On top of that, two new CTF maps—Frozen Pass and Forbidden City—will rotate in daily, accelerating the mode’s adoption.
The reasoning seems straightforward: Amazon wants every player to test the new mode without long lineups or fractured queues diluting engagement. But the move comes with trade‑offs. OPR die‑hards are losing access for nearly two weeks, and some community voices argue that the abrupt switch may alienate those loyal to the 50‑vs‑50 clashes. Though internal roadmap previews promise OPR will return better, this sprint feels like a bold gamble to reshape the PvP meta.
This dramatic shift underscores how serious Amazon is about CTF becoming a permanent fixture in New World’s competitive repertoire. By temporarily sidelining OPR, they’re effectively redirecting attention and feedback to CTF’s initial run—an aggressive move that could either draw in new players or spark backlash from longtime PvP fans.
Season 9 officially begins July 29. In the meantime, you can check out the latest developer Q&A video below for more insight into what’s coming to New World in the near future.
