New World: Aeternum, Amazon’s fantasy MMO, has received its final update, with the studio claiming it is “no longer sustainable” to keep pushing updates and expansions. This news coincides with reports that Amazon is laying off thousands of employees and deprioritizing its gaming division, and fans are not happy. New World’s servers will stay online throughout at least 2026, so fans are still able to play the game and its expansions for some time. While the team that made the game is being scattered to the winds, they did manage to include one final goodbye in the game’s most recent update.
Rachel Barnum, the senior game designer on New World, posted a screenshot on X of a spot on New World’s map where players can find a final message from the team. In the message, the developers thank players for joining them on this journey, and lament that it has come to such a sad end. You can read the full message below (thanks, TheGamer):
— Rachel Barnum (@OhThatRachel) October 28, 2025
We were there when you first found Thorpe in the forsaken grove after dragging yourself across a foreign beach. We were there when you found your first settlement and explored its charm and denizens. We were there when you fought pirates, tigers, corrupted, ghosts, and all manner of hazards across the land. We were there when you set foot on forsaken sands filled with lost secrets and hidden dangers. We were there when you discovered the untamed wilds filled with beasts and verdant jungles. We were there when you crept into the dark heart of lands filled with opulence, madness, and terror.
Through it all, we watched. We delighted. We reveled in your enjoyment of every perfect moment, every carefully crafted story, and we even bore witness to the joining of two souls who met here in Aeternum. We did it all for you, dear adventurer. Thank you for so many amazing stories, triumphs, and fits of laughter. We raise a glass to our fallen comrades: Divya, Shaun, Kelvin, Aaron. Good luck, and good night.
New World originally launched on PC in 2021, with the Aeternum edition coming out on PS5 and Xbox in 2024. What seemed like a new era for the MMO ended up being cut short. If the game disappears in the coming years, at least part of it will live on in the Secret Level episode set in its universe.
