How long is the New World AFK timer?

It pays to know how long the AFK timer is in New World, especially if you've experienced hours waiting in queues to log in to the game over the past week. Like many other MMOs, New World uses an AFK timer to kick idle players from the game to free up server space, and it's hard to argue against it when so many are struggling to get online.

Of course, you need to take breaks at some point, but how long do you have to grab a coffee or a bite to eat before the game will unceremoniously kick you from the world of Aeternum? Here's how long the AFK timer is in New World.

How long is the New World AFK timer?

The New World AFK timer is 20 minutes and you should get a notification in the top-right of the screen five minutes before you're booted from the game.

The timer was originally 25 minutes, but following an update on October 6, that has been reduced by five minutes. The update also adds a way for the system to detect simulated mouse movement used to trick the game into thinking a player is active when they're not. Once kicked, you'll be booted back to the main menu where you'll need to rejoin your server and any queues it may have.

I'm not well-versed in MMO idle timers, but compared to what I'm used to in FPS games, 20 minutes seems fairly generous. Depending on who you are, that's more than enough time to brew some coffee, enjoy a quick snack, or take a break from the screen with a quiet walk around the block. That said, it is ten minutes shorter than Final Fantasy 14's slightly more generous 30-minute timer.

Just make sure you find a quiet spot to leave your character idle. I've already alt-tabbed out of the game in spots I thought were safe only to come back to three wolves biting my head off. And if you're flagged for PvP, I'd suggest running back to a town or lying prone in a bush.

Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a freelancer and currently as a staff writer. He has also appeared on Polygon, Kotaku, Fanbyte, and PCGamesN. Before freelancing, he spent most of high school and all of college writing at small gaming sites that didn't pay him. He's very happy to have a real job now. Morgan is a beat writer following the latest and greatest shooters and the communities that play them. He also writes general news, reviews, features, the occasional guide, and bad jokes in Slack. Twist his arm, and he'll even write about a boring strategy game. Please don't, though.