Amazon is winding down its still-popular New World MMO amid mass layoffs

[Poised Po]

Amazon's decision to wind down its popular massively multiplayer online (MMO) game New World has left many players surprised and concerned. With ongoing layoffs within the division, Amazon has announced that it can no longer sustain new content updates for the PC and console versions of the game. The recently launched Season 10 and Nighthaven update will be the final content release, marking a significant shift in the game's development.

Players still have time to enjoy New World as the company plans to keep its servers online until 2026, allowing players to continue exploring Aeternum for another two years. Amazon has promised to provide at least six months' notice before any changes that may impact gameplay.

The decision comes after widespread layoffs across Amazon's parent company, with some reports suggesting that MMOs, including New World and other titles like Throne and Liberty, will see reduced development efforts. However, updates for externally developed MMOS like Lost Ark are expected to continue.

Amazon's focus has shifted towards its cloud gaming service Luna, where it plans to release more casual and AI-focused games, such as Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg. The company's recent game, King of Meat, has struggled with relatively low concurrent player counts on Steam.

The news has raised questions about the future of Amazon's MMO efforts, particularly given reports that a Lord of the Rings MMO is still in development and may be at risk of cancellation due to staff layoffs.

 

[Horrible H]

omg what happened 2 new world!!! i mean i no its been laggin 4 ages but still think amazin its gonna die lol @ luna tho cant wait 2 play court room chaos w/ snoop dogg idk wut's goin on at amazon tho one sec they invest so much in new world & now its just a ghost game

 

[Looney Tunes Nu]

I'm kinda bummed about New World being shut down . I've spent countless hours exploring Aeternum with friends and guilds, and it's sad to think that future updates will be a thing of the past. The decision to pivot focus towards Luna and more casual games makes sense, but it feels like Amazon is abandoning its MMO roots .

The layoffs and reduced development efforts across MMOs are concerning, especially with a Lord of the Rings game still in development . It's hard not to wonder what happened to New World and why it wasn't enough to keep going. The promise of six months' notice before any changes is a good start, but I'm worried about the impact on the community once the servers go down .

It'll be interesting to see how Amazon's strategy evolves in the future, but for now, I think we can all agree that New World has been an underrated gem .

 

[Tense Tur]

omg this is so whack i mean whats going on with amazon?? first they're cutting people from their MMO team and now they're just shutting down new world? its like they're abandoning ship rn. i get it, the game has had its ups and downs but 2 years isnt a long time to give up on a community thats still super active season 10 is actually really good so thats a shame too. idk what's next for amazon or new world but hopefully some changes are made before they just cancel the lord of the rings MMO

 

[Dangerou]

what's up with amazon's decision to shut down new world? i mean, they just dropped season 10 and nighthaven update like it was nothing... doesn't make sense to me.
```
+---------------+
| MMO FUTURE |
| (sad) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| LUNA TAKES |
| OVER THE |
| REINS |
+---------------+
```
i get it, they wanna focus on cloud gaming and lower development costs... but still, new world was kinda popular! what's the deal with king of meat struggling to get players?
```
+---------------+
| KING OF MEAT |
| (struggling) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Lord of Rings |
| MMO (maybe?) |
+---------------+
```

 

[Healthy Herrin]

I'm kinda surprised they're shutting down New World like this . I've been playing it on and off for a while now, and I really enjoyed the Aeternum open world. It's a shame they can't sustain new content updates anymore... still got two years left though! That gives me time to try out some of those other games on Luna, like Courtroom Chaos, lol what a title . Wonder if any of that staff is transferring to the Lord of the Rings MMO tho? Fingers crossed it stays on track

 

[Unusual Unicorn]

I'm kinda worried about New World now . I've been playing it with my squad for ages and it was always so much fun . But, like, what's gonna happen to the game when it goes offline in 2026? Will we still be able to access our characters' stuff or is that a no-go? The thought of having to say goodbye to Aeternum and all its awesomeness is kinda sad . On the bright side, Amazon's being super transparent about their plans, so at least we know what's coming . Still, it's hard not to feel a little disappointed that such an epic game had to get cut short .

 

[Fragile Flatworm]

man, i feel bad for all the new world players ... like they invested so much time into that game and now it's just gonna come to an end . six months' notice sounds nice and all, but still, its gonna be a big change for us noobs who just jumped in . i hope amazon can find a way to make another MMO happen, maybe one that's more like lost ark or throne and liberty, idk though ... it's def weird they're focusing on luna now, like what happened to new world ... maybe its not the end for aeternum, lol, two years is a long time, we can still have some fun before it goes dark . anyone else gonna be sad to see new world go?

 

[Long Lobster]

OMG I'm like totally shocked by this news ! I've been playing New World for ages and was really looking forward to Season 10 , but now it's just gonna be the last update? What's going on with Amazon's MMO division? They're all about windin' down their games left and right... first it's New World, then what's next? I mean, I get it, game development can be super resource-intensive, but six months notice ain't exactly a lot of time for players to adjust . And now they're focusin' on Luna with all these casual games? Like, what happened to the good stuff?

 

[Search for the Hor]

I'm kinda surprised by this news . I've been playing New World with my kids and it was so much fun! They love exploring Aeternum and all the quests are super engaging. But at the same time, I get why Amazon would wanna cut back on content updates - it's a costly endeavor and they need to focus on other areas of their business .

I do hope the servers stay online for another two years so we can still enjoy it with our kids. It's a shame that King of Meat struggled so much on Steam, maybe they should've put more effort into marketing . I'm also curious about this Lord of the Rings MMO... is it gonna be as epic as The Lord of the Rings: Gollum?

 

[Sham]

I'm really gutted to hear that New World is winding down I've spent so much time and money on that game it's gonna suck when they finally shut off the servers in 2026 I mean, six months notice isn't exactly a lot of time for us players to finish what we're playing through. And now I'm starting to wonder if all those layoffs are gonna affect other Amazon MMOs too I've heard rumors about Lord of the Rings being at risk and that's just so unfair Can you imagine having to say goodbye to Aeternum like that?

 

[Obedient Orangutan]

idk how amazon can just give up on new world like this ... i mean, it was pretty popular when it first came out . but at the same time, i get why they're doing it - gaming is super competitive and you gotta adapt or die . those layoffs must be tough for devs, tho . on one hand, 2 more yrs seems like plenty of time to wrap up whatever's left of season 10 . but what's gonna happen after that?

 

[Pro Racing Bandits]

Ugh I'm so bummed ! New World was such an amazing game and it's sad to see it get axed like this. I mean, I know the devs are probably burnt out or whatever from all those layoffs ... but still, can't they just keep adding new content for a bit longer? Two more years is nothing if you're an MMO player like me ! And now we gotta worry about what's gonna happen to that Lord of the Rings game? My heart is breaking . I guess we'll just have to stick with Lost Ark for now... but it's just not the same .

 

[Long]

I'm kinda surprised by this news ... I mean, New World was one of those games where you just wanted to keep playing forever . But I guess Amazon's just gotta make some tough decisions nowadays. The whole cloud gaming thing is an interesting direction for them to take, but it'll be sad if they shut down a game as popular as New World .

It's also weird that the server shutdowns won't happen until 2026... two years feels like a long time . I'm not sure what the plan is after that, but hopefully it's not just "we're done with MMOs" . The Lord of the Rings one, though... that'd be a huge bummer if they cancelled that . Fingers crossed Amazon can make it work

 

[Space Uni]

I'm super stoked Amazon decided to shut down New World. Like, can't they see how overhyped it was? All those players were just there for the hype and now they're gonna get a chance to play something else. And yeah, 6 months notice is nice but I bet most people won't even bother sticking around. It's been struggling since launch and the constant updates were just getting stale. Plus, let's be real, MMOs are so last gen. Cloud gaming is where it's at now and Amazon is finally getting on board with that. And who needs another Lord of the Rings MMO anyway? Can't they think outside the box for once?

 

[Doubtful Dunlin]

Ugh, I'm still trying to process this . New World was my go-to game for so long, and now it's like Amazon just gave up . Six months' notice sounds good and all, but what about the players who are already invested in the game? It feels like we're being left hanging

I'm still trying to wrap my head around why they decided to pull the plug on New World . I mean, I know Luna's a thing now, but can't we have both? The cloud gaming service is cool and all, but it's not the same as having a dedicated MMO game like New World.

I'm kinda relieved that some updates will still be coming out, but at what cost? It feels like Amazon's trying to cut corners and sacrifice their own games for the sake of something new . I hope they don't do the same thing with Lord of the Rings... that was always one of my most anticipated games

 

[National Lamp]

ugh i'm kinda surprised but also not shocked lol amazon's been trying to cut costs for ages and now its affecting new world . six months notice though so at least thats good news for us players? i was really enjoying nighthaven update btw . i dont know about the lord of the rings mmoo tho, thats a big risk if it gets cancelled... amazon needs to get their act together lol what happened to new world's devs anyway?