Introduction

In New World Aeternum Expedition Mutations are an end-game progression activity that provides players with exclusive loot. In our New World Mutation Guide, we’ll cover how to enter a mutation, the different mechanics you’ll face, the rewards you’ll get, and more!

You MUST own the New World expansion, Rise of the Angry Earth, to participate in mutated expeditions.

What are Expedition Mutations in New World

Expedition or Dungeon Mutators in New World are mutations of the normal Expeditions in the game. Mutators are a form of end-game content, and they change the familiar by augmenting the normal and named enemies found within the expeditions. This changes the way the encounters inside the dungeon function vs the normal/vanilla versions of the dungeon.

Each week, three different expeditions will be mutated.

Each mutation will have 3 levels of difficulty with the rewards increasing accordingly with the difficulty level. 

• Mutation Difficulty 1 – 650 Gear Score
• Mutation Difficulty 2 – 675 Gear Score
• Mutation Difficulty 3 – 695+ Gear Score

There is a recommended Gear Score for each level of difficulty that directly factors into enemy scaling, therefore, players will want to be in that gear score range in order to increase the chances at success. 

It’s important to point out that the combat scaling is specific per individual player and separate from the base difficulty increases in health and damage. 

How to Enter a Mutated Dungeon

You can see each active mutation Expedition for the week by viewing your map and looking for the rotating Red icon on the Expedition. 

You need to complete the normal version of the Expedition prior to being able to participate in the mutated version. However, if you’re invited to a group that has access to the mutations and you successfully complete the mutation you will be rewarded with your codex (more on that below) and will unlock the first level of mutations. 

One member of your group can travel to the expedition entrance to enter the expedition. Once there, they can initiate the expedition and all other members will have the option to be pulled in from wherever they are on the map. You an also utilize the group finder by clicking on the applicable expedition on the map, or utilize the Activities option within your menu screen to join a queue with a random group. The Activities option can only be use for mutation levels 1 and 2.

There is a weekly limit of 35 Mutated Expedition runs per player.

Mutated Expedition Codex Progression

Each time you complete a phase of the mutated expedition you will receive a codex increase for that expedition. This means you have unlocked the next tier of difficulty. This unlock is dungeon specific and will persist through the mutation cycles. Meaning, once you have reached a certain difficulty for a specific dungeon you will still have up to that difficulty unlocked.

Your Codex increase (difficulty level increase) will increase by 1 each time you complete a Mutation level regardless of what level you are on. 

For example, you can join someone that has a codex level of 3 and is able to participate in the level 3 dungeon even if you have only unlocked up to level 1. If you are successful with that group your individual codex will increase by 1, so you will then be able to unlock level 2.

Expedition Mutation Scoring

During a mutation, you will be earning a score that will determine your ranking upon completion of the mutation phase. You will be rewarded either Bronze, Silver, or Gold. The score is a shared value among the entire group.  

• Bronze: Any score less than 20,000 points
• Silver: 25,000 – 49,999
• Gold: 50,000 & above

The scoring is based on the following:

• Time: The better your team’s completion time of the mutation the better your score will be. The completion time is calculated at the end of a run. 
• AI Kills: A target value for killing a predetermined amount of enemies within the Expedition.
• Team Wipes: Every team wipe during a boss encounter will reduce the score by a significant amount. 
• Respawns: Each respawn (death not down) will reduce the score by a moderate amount. 

Your team can also earn bonus points for run efficiency, gathering materials, minimal respawning/wiping, speed, and taking down all the targets. The total score is tallied at the end of the Expedition Run.

As the difficulty increases the Mutators will also increase. Tier 1 versions will have a Mutation only, Tier 2 will have Mutations & Promotions, and Tier 3 will have Mutators, Promotions, and a Curse (more about the types of mutations below).

Mutation Effects

The mutation effects per dungeon are random for that particular mutation week. The mutation effects include Elemental Effects, Promotions, and Curses. Only Elemental effects are on levels 1. Both Elemental & Promotion effects are combined for level 2, and Level 3 will have all three effects including elemental, promotion, and curses. 

The various Mutations are as follows:

• Elemental Effect mutations infuse enemies in the Expedition with a specific elemental damage type. This will convert a large portion of their damage to that type.
  • Hellfire: Infuses enemies with fire, allowing them to burn players
  • Eternal: Infuses enemies with Void, allowing them to utilize abilities that debuff players or buff their void-infused abilities
  • Overgrown: Focuses on Nature Damage and Resistance. Overgrown adds effects like Toxic, a pool that tracks down players, and Compost which turns trash into healing areas for their allies.
  • Barbaric: Focuses on Physical Damage. Adds Berserk, an enrage effect and Shattering which deals Stamina Damage.
  • Icebound: Focuses on Ice elemental effects related to incoming and outgoing damage. It can also apply Slow status effects!
• Promotion mutations grant creatures in the Expedition powerful new abilities
  • Savage: Mobs apply healing reduction and cast damaging beams around themselves.
  • Indomitable: Creatures persist through damage with life-stealing abilities and are able to summon a phalanx that will block all incoming player projectiles.
  • Oppressive:  Includes mana drains and zones of silence, which prevent ability usage for a short period of time.
  • Barbaric: Enemies become enraged dealing more damage and applying bleeds.
• Curses apply dangerous effects to players, forcing them to work together to overcome the curse’s power. At the highest difficulties, curses become empowered, which creates additional tactical challenges.
  • Desiccated: Players will occasionally combust with elemental energy. When the curse is empowered, players will need to cleanse themselves by approaching the combusted player. 
  • Censored: Players will find their abilities turning against them. After players in the group have used a certain number of activated abilities, explosive silence zones will appear on all players. When the curse is empowered players will lose natural mana regeneration and must enter the silence zones to regenerate their mana. 
  • Fiendish: Curses that focus on the nocturnal. Fiendish adds Weary, which will weaken players with Rend and make them vulnerable with Slow. It also features Blood Offering which stacks damage over time.
  • Frenzied: This variant applies Curses to players that dodge. Curses stack and deal damage over time. Max stacks also damage nearby allies.

Mutation Rewards

Each mutated dungeon will offer the same loot drops as the normal version of the dungeon. However, in addition to the normal drops there will be additional drops that will be specific to each level. The gear score of drops will also depend on the Expedition.

Any mutation level can drop up to 700 gear score gear. However, the minimum gear score that drops from a mutation increases as the level of mutation increases. This means you are much more likely to obtain gear score 700 gear from a mutation level 3 than you are from a mutation level 1.

Perks and Consumables 

The Expedition Mutations are intended to be difficult end-game content. In order to complete the content, you will want to review the mutations prior to entering the Expedition and utilize the proper perks and consumables to complete the mutation. 

You’ll want to ensure you have proper attribute food for your particular build, and have some powerful honing stones on hand. You will also want to utilize the proper weapon coatings, ward potions, and trophies depending upon the enemy type and the mutation. Check out our damage type vs mob type chart for information regarding which type of damage would be most beneficial for which situation. 

Be sure to Slot the proper gems in your armor and weapons to maximize damage and mitigation. You can check our gem chart for information on what effects each type of gem has. 

The following perks should also be considered depending on the type of mutation you are faced with.

• Armor Perks
  • Flame Conditioning – After being hit with Fire DMG, gain 5% Fire absorption for 5 seconds. Each piece of armor with this perk increases the potency of the effect.
  • Frost Conditioning – After being hit with Ice DMG, gain 5% Ice absorption for 5 seconds. Each piece of armor with this perk increases the potency of the effect.
  • Arboreal Conditioning – After being hit with Nature DMG, gain 5% Nature absorption for 5 seconds. Each piece of armor with this perk increases the potency of the effect.
  • Abyssal Conditioning – After being hit with Void DMG, gain 5% Void absorption for 5 seconds. Each piece of armor with this perk increases the potency of the effect.

For more New World Aeternum guides be sure to check our comprehensive guide library!