Following a major wave of layoffs across the company, Amazon Games has officially announced that development on New World has been shut down permanently, with support ending after the launch of Season 10 and its final update, Nighthaven.
New World Development to End After Season 10
The decision follows widespread layoffs that saw Amazon and its subsidiaries — including Twitch — lose over 14,000 employees, marking one of the largest workforce reductions in the company’s history.
Originally released on PC in 2021, New World later arrived on next-gen consoles under the name New World: Aeternum.
The MMORPG was one of three major game projects announced by Amazon years ago and managed to endure longer than its counterparts, many of which were canceled before release. However, it seems the game’s journey has now reached its conclusion after four years of continuous updates.
Official Statement Confirms the End
In an official statement published on the game’s website, the New World development team confirmed that ongoing support was no longer sustainable from a production and resource standpoint. The statement reads:
“After four years of steady content updates and a major new console release, we’ve reached a point where it is no longer sustainable to continue supporting the game with new content updates.”
The team also confirmed that both Nighthaven and Rise of the Angry Earth expansions are now free for PC players, while the game will remain available on PS Plus Premium and Extra for a limited time.
Server support will continue through 2026, even after development has officially ceased, with additional details about the game’s long-term future expected later.
Layoffs Hit Amazon Game Studios Hard
According to a report from Bloomberg, Amazon’s internal game studios were among the divisions most affected by the layoffs — particularly the teams working on large-scale MMO projects.
The report suggests that several unannounced projects are now in jeopardy due to reduced staffing and shifting priorities.
The decision to end New World development marks an unfortunate end for what was once seen as one of Amazon’s most ambitious ventures in online gaming. It also reflects the mounting challenges the company faces in maintaining a foothold in the competitive interactive entertainment industry.
With servers remaining online temporarily, New World appears to be entering a quiet sunset phase, as Amazon begins to restructure its long-term strategy for future game development.
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