New World is a real-world based MMORPG that takes place in the Age of Exploration in the 17th and 18th centuries, where players use New World Gold to obtain in-game items. As such, it doesn't have the fantasy or exotic weapons that other games have. Instead, New World has magical perks and unique abilities.

The humble hatchet is a simple, small, sharp weapon that is barely visible in most games other than simple gardening or building tools. In New World, it's one of the options for one-handed melee weapons, but according to some players, it still doesn't get the attention it deserves. For those who haven't owned it, they can buy New World Gold at IGGM to get it.

Most of the time, players have to make sure their character has both melee and ranged weapons, as well as the proper talents and gear to make each of them effective. Mix and match with other weapons like bows, muskets, swords or spears for fun and variety, as these weapons also change with strength and agility.

In keeping with the game's realistic aesthetics, a hatchet can only be used as a one-handed weapon. This means that a character cannot have an axe in their main hand and another one-handed weapon in the other hand. Not to mention, shields can only be combined with swords. Even if a character could equip a person with a hatchet, it would just remain inert on their back. The benefit of this is that the combination of swords and shields is linked to the same stat points, agility and strength, so if a player wants to carry all three it makes a great physical weapon build.