Amazon Games is experiencing a huge shakeup after the latest round of layoffs by the company. Along with Amazon's 14,000 layoffs, the games division confirmed dramatic shifts in its first-party approach with the dropping of new content creation for its MMO title "New World: Aeternum."
The action is a huge withdrawal from Amazon's foray into the AAA gaming market.
Amazon Confirms End of New World Content Updates
Following four years of non-stop expansions and updates, Amazon Games announced that "Season 10: Nighthaven" would be the last content release for "New World" on PC and consoles. The firm stated that it was no longer "sustainable" to keep producing new updates for the game.
As a token of appreciation for the kindness of its players, Amazon has released "Nighthaven" and "Rise of the Angry Earth" for free to everyone, so that fans can see New World's story reach its conclusion.
Sudden End to Amazon's MMO Ambitions
The news was a surprise to most of the gaming community. "New World" never became a blockbuster, but it did have a consistent player base, at one point reaching 50,000 to 60,000 players.
For an average MMO, this was decent performance. The game did have trouble building long-term momentum, though, and this ultimately prompted Amazon to downscale.
In the update, Amazon will maintain "New World" servers online up to 2026, guaranteeing bug fixes, server merges, and seasonal events such as world bosses and bonus weeks. The company's notice, however, clearly suggests that the game will be over once active support ends.
What Players Can Expect Moving Forward
According to PC Gamer, players can continue to buy "New World: Aeternum" and purchase in-game currency, though fans wonder why anyone would spend money on a game with a short life expectancy. Amazon has committed to providing no less than six months' notice before making any adjustments that impact playability, but the outlook is not good.
Though "New World" technically will still be accessible, its declining updates and dwindling player base mean the MMO's demise is a matter of when, not if.
The announcement points to Amazon's overall pivot away from massive-scale, first-party endeavors like MMOs. The layoffs and cancellations show that the company is reassessing its long-term gaming strategy, likely by concentrating on publishing and smaller-scale titles.
"New World: Aeternum" never quite reached its vision of global domination, but it's left us with a devoted community and a valuable lesson in the difficulty of constructing a live-service MMO in the gaming market of today.
