what i’m gonna say is just my opinion.
first, i’m having a lot of fun playing new world, so don’t think i’m saying the game is dead, but IMO what may cause numbers to decrease, is the fact that there’s no subscription required.
you buy the game and that’s it. you can come back any time you want.
IMO having to pay to play a game you bought seems good, because with the extra money, they can try to make the game better (even if most are failing on this)
so, what i want to say is like this:
i used to play wow, but having like 30 days or 10 days remaining, could give you a lot of pressure, because you HAD to do things while you can, you need to do X or Y before your time ends.
in new world, you can play anytime you want, and nothing is “forcing” you to stay in the game, you can do anything at your own pace.
sure, there’s wars to defend and attack, but honestly, it’ll happen all the time, so you’ll miss nothing.
the only thing that can change if you stay some time away from the game is the towns changing hands all the time
well, that’s what i believe, you having the game but not having to pay anything, can help you to take your time and enjoy it the way you want, not being pressured by a time limit
sorry for bad english