New World was as soon as the crown jewel in Amazon’s rising gaming ambitions. Developed in-house, the MMO initially exploded in recognition on Steam and appeared to have respectable legs in notoriously aggressive style. Lower than 5 years later it’s formally being killed. Servers will go offline in January 2027. The information has prompted a response from many who’re uninterested in large video games vanishing so shortly after launch, together with an government at Rust maker Facepunch Studios.
“25m, remaining provide Amazon Video games,” the London-based firm’s COO, Alistair McFarlane, wrote in response to the information on X. “Video games ought to by no means die,” he added, earlier than occurring to juxtapose Amazon’s method to on-line video games with Facepunch’s. “As with every little thing we do at Facepunch, empower the group.” when somebody requested what the Rust maker shopping for New World would seem like. “Give them management, make servers publicly hostable. A recreation will stay eternally within the arms of a devoted group.”
The writing for New World has been on the wall since final fall. Regardless of not too long ago releasing new updates and seasonal content material adjustments showing to come back and go as deliberate, Amazon introduced in late October that the sport could be occurring life assist with no significant additions deliberate sooner or later. The servers would stay open and working “by means of 2026” to permit the group “time to proceed their adventures in Aeternum.”
Video games ought to by no means die.
— Alistair McFarlane (@Alistair_McF) January 15, 2026
Whereas Amazon is technically holding up that finish of the discount, remaining followers in all probability weren’t anticipating the tech large to kick the brand new 12 months off with a full-blown loss of life sentence. “We wish to thank the gamers to your dedication and keenness. We’re grateful for the time spent crafting the world of Aeternum with you,” an un-attributed blog post that went up on the sport’s web site this week reads. “Collectively we constructed one thing particular. Whereas we’re saddened to say goodbye, we’re honored that we have been in a position to share a lot with the group.”
New World is now not on the market however anybody who already owns it could possibly nonetheless re-download the sport and play till January 31, 2026. Will there be any refunds? After all not. Can you continue to purchase premium in-game foreign money for actual cash? Surprisingly, sure. “Starting July 20, 2026, gamers will now not have the ability to buy Marks of Fortune or the rest in recreation,” reads the brand new FAQ. Why not unlock every little thing and make all money transactions within the recreation free? No thought.
All of this stems from Amazon’s wider pivot away from inside recreation growth, with mass layoffs final fall that included the not solely the top of New World however seeming cuts to different initiatives together with a Lord of the Rings MMO. The corporate hasn’t confirmed if that mission is useless or nonetheless being shopped round to different outdoors growth companions. Amazon can be set to publish the upcoming Tomb Raiders video games, together with this 12 months’s Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a remake of the unique recreation.
