Amazon Game Studios has announced that just four years after release, its once-popular MMORPG New World will no longer receive content updates as it slowly begins its journey to the end.
On October 28, shortly after news broke that Amazon was planning to lay off thousands of employees, Amazon Game Studios posted an update on New World’s official website confirming that the game’s recently launched season 10 and Nighthaven update will be its last. In the post, the devs said that after an “incredible journey” with the community, New World has reached a point where it is “no longer sustainable to continue supporting the game with new content updates.” The MMORPG’s last big content drop, Nighthaven, has been made free to all PC players, as has the game’s Rise of the Angry Earth expansion, which is needed to play Nighthaven.
“Players of Aeternum: Your dedication and enthusiasm have made this New World adventure an unforgettable journey,” said the devs. “We’re deeply grateful for every moment you’ve spent helping build this extraordinary world alongside us. It has been an honor to share Aeternum with you. Thank you for helping make this game something truly special.”
To be clear, New World isn’t shutting down today or any time this year. In an included FAQ, the devs claim players will still be able to play the game normally on all platforms, bug fixes will still happen, and you’ll even be able to keep buying in-game currency. The servers will remain open and operating “through 2026” to allow the community “time to continue their adventures in Aeternum.” The studio says it will provide more details on New World’s future in the coming months and promised to provide a minimum of six months’ notice before shutting down the servers and killing the game completely.
While New World isn’t dead yet, the writing is on the wall for the MMORPG, which at one point was one of the most played games on Steam. In October 2021, New World launched to over 900,000 concurrent players on Steam. It was a genuine smash hit for Amazon, a company that, up until that point, had struggled (and continues to struggle) to break into the game industry. But by March of 2022, player counts slipped into the mid 30-thousands and continued to dwindle. A console port and some big updates over the years helped keep New World afloat, but it seems like Amazon is finally done spending money on its once-popular MMORPG as the retail giant rushes to replace people with AI.
