This week, New World released a new patch that introduced a slew of new features to the game, including some new enemies, a new Void gauntlet, some luck bonuses, and the ability to run faster on highways and roads.  Although it appeared that a lot of good stuff had been added to the patch, players soon discovered that something. . . else had taken place as well.

Although not advertised as a major feature of the patch, it was only addressed after players realized what had happened.  In a nutshell, New World significantly increased the effectiveness of AI enemies in Elite zones and Endgame areas.  Now, those enemies are significantly more difficult to defeat than they were previously, and Amazon claims that this was done to "challenge" players now that skills have been improved and new tools have entered the field.  Here's what they had to say about it in a short blog post: "
New World Season 1 Preparation Guide: Things To Do Prepare for Season 1 Update New World

In the end game zones, changes have recently been made to Elite POIs, and it is clear to us that proper context was not provided for why those changes were made

1.  Players will be able to find crafting materials and equipment in a variety of locations, which is our ultimate goal

2.  However, with the introduction of new gear and equipment, we want players to be challenged

Among the many features of our end game are Outpost Rush and Wars, Invasions and Arenas, 60+ Corrupted breaches, 60+ Elite POIs and named creatures, and Expeditions, with more to come in the future.  There will not be a single source for the best in slot, and our goal is to encourage players to participate in a variety of activities in order to earn the best in slot.

We recognize the importance of your time in the endgame and are actively investigating the activities and reward balance.  We are currently investigating a problem with the Elite chests and their drop rates in order to make the journey into more difficult content more rewarding.  We are also keeping an eye on the creation and usage of orbs in Expeditions.  We believe that Expeditions should be a significant part of your end-game loop, and we will be taking steps to incorporate them in the near future.  Please keep an eye out for updates in the coming weeks and months.  Our continued feedback is greatly appreciated as we continue to incorporate new challenges into Aeternum. "