Amazon Games has officially announced that New World, its massive multiplayer online role-playing game first launched in 2021, will be shutting down permanently on January 31, 2027. This news comes just a few months after the developer made significant cuts to its workforce late last year.
When those layoffs were first announced, it was revealed on the New World website that the game’s 10th season, titled ‘Nighthaven,’ would be its final season. However, it has now been confirmed that this season will be extended all the way until the game’s servers are finally turned off. The game has already been removed from digital storefronts, meaning only players who already own the game can continue their adventures into the next year.
The official statement also included a heartfelt farewell from the remaining New World development team. The message reads: “We want to thank the players for your dedication and passion. We are grateful for the time spent crafting the world of Aeternum with you. Together we built something special. While we are saddened to say goodbye, we’re honored that we were able to share so much with the community.”
“It has been our pleasure to work on New World: Aeternum and evolve this unforgettable adventure with you all. We look forward to one more year together, and giving this fantastic adventure a sendoff worthy of a legendary hero. From the bottom of all our hearts, thank you for sharing this world with us.”
Despite this sad news, there might be a small glimmer of hope coming from an unexpected source. Alistair McFarlane, the Chief Operating Officer of Facepunch Studios, has stepped forward with a potential lifeline. Facepunch is the studio behind the popular survival game Rust, and the UK-based developer has built a very solid reputation in the often unstable games industry.
It seems their foundation is strong enough that McFarlane is willing to offer a massive amount of money to save the struggling MMO. “25m, final offer,” McFarlane tweeted in response to the shutdown news last night. He followed this up with another tweet stating, “Games should never die,” which strongly suggests this is a genuine offer rather than a joke.
Another notable figure in the world of buying video game rights also appeared in the conversation. Laflamme, who is known for purchasing cancelled games, tweeted: “If you need tips about buying cancelled games, lmk.” Laflamme successfully bought the game Hytale back from Riot Games last year, releasing it this week to monumental success. This shows that there is a market for saving games that big companies decide to abandon.
