Amazon's New World MMO to Shut Down in 2027

Amazon has confirmed that its ambitious MMO New World will be officially taken offline from all platforms on January 31, 2027. The fantasy game, which launched in 2021, is now delisted and no longer available for purchase.

Players can still access the game and its Nighthaven season until the servers are permanently shut down next year. The announcement marks the end of a six-year journey for the title, which was considered a rare success for Amazon's gaming division following several previous flops.

The shutdown was communicated through a statement on the official New World website, which expressed gratitude to the player community. The development team acknowledged the dedication of its fans while confirming the game's final timeline.

"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."

The statement continued, emphasizing the team's pleasure in evolving the adventure over the years. Amazon is now focused on providing a proper sendoff for the game, promising to give this "fantastic adventure a sendoff worthy of a legendary hero" during its final year of operation.

New World represented a significant achievement for Amazon in the competitive video game market. The game launched during a period when the company had struggled to find traction, having previously experienced multiple flops that resulted in game and studio closures.

The MMO, set in an alternate 1600s version of America, achieved massive initial popularity. On Valve's Steam platform, it saw a staggering 913,634 peak concurrent players shortly after its 2021 release. However, player numbers declined significantly following that initial peak.

The shutdown decision follows Amazon's October announcement to place the game into maintenance mode. This move was part of a larger restructuring that affected approximately 14,000 roles across the company.

Despite the New World shutdown, Amazon Games is not exiting the development space entirely. The company plans to continue work on several other titles currently in development.

Key projects moving forward include:

• March of Giants from Amazon Games Montreal
• A new Tomb Raider game at Crystal Dynamics
• Casual and AI-focused games for the Luna cloud service

The status of Amazon's highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings MMO remains uncertain following the New World announcement. The company has yet to provide an update on whether that project will continue development or be affected by the recent strategic shifts.

Following the shutdown news, an unexpected offer emerged from the gaming industry. Alistair McFarlane, COO and company director at Facepunch Studios—the developer behind the popular survival game Rust—publicly offered to purchase New World from Amazon.

"Games should never die."

McFarlane tweeted his offer of $25 million for the game, proposing a vision for its future that differs from permanent closure. He suggested that the game should be preserved by empowering the community and making servers publicly hostable, allowing a dedicated community to keep the game alive indefinitely.

The offer gained additional context from industry veterans. Simon Collins-Laflamme, founder of Hypixel Studios, who previously rescued the game Hytale after years in development limbo, replied to McFarlane's tweet with an offer of his own: "If you need tips about buying cancelled games, lmk."

The January 31, 2027 shutdown date gives New World players approximately one year to experience the final content updates and say their goodbyes to the world of Aeternum. The Nighthaven season will continue to be extended throughout this period.

While Amazon's gaming ambitions have faced challenges, the company continues to pursue other projects in the gaming space. The fate of The Lord of the Rings MMO remains a key question for the industry, as does the potential for a community-driven future for New World should McFarlane's offer gain traction.