Amazon Ends New World Updates as MMO Shuts Down After Mass Layoffs

Amazon Games has confirmed that New World, its once-ambitious massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), will no longer receive new content updates.

In a statement posted on the game's official website, the developer announced that Season 10: Nighthaven would serve as the final major update for both PC and console versions.

'The recently launched Season 10 and Nighthaven update will serve as the final content release for New World on PC and consoles,' Amazon said.

The decision marks the end of one of Amazon's biggest ventures into the world of online gaming and comes just days after the company revealed plans for mass layoffs that will cut around 14,000 jobs across its global workforce, including major reductions at Amazon Games.

What Players Need to Know

As a gesture of appreciation to its loyal community, Amazon has made the final Season 10 update free to all players. In addition, the studio has also unlocked the 2023 expansion Rise of the Angry Earth on PC at no cost.

The company confirmed that New World's servers will remain online until at least 2026, ensuring players can continue exploring the world of Aeternum for the foreseeable future.

'While New World will not be receiving new content updates, servers will be live through 2026,' developers said. 'Our focus has been on completing the Season 10: Nighthaven update and sharing it with our players.'

Players on PlayStation 5 who are Extra or Premium members of PlayStation Plus will still be able to download and play the game. Seasonal events, bonus weeks and existing world bosses will continue to appear, though no new expansions are planned.

Developers also pledged to keep maintaining the game beyond Season 10 and said further details about technical support and essential information would be shared in the coming months.

The farewell note ended on a heartfelt tone:

'It has been an honour to share Aeternum with you. Thank you for helping make this game something truly special.'

Amazon Shifts Focus to Cloud Gaming

The end of New World coincides with a major restructuring within Amazon Games. The company's gaming division, which had recently relaunched New World: Aeternum on PC and consoles, was heavily affected by the latest round of job cuts.

According to an internal memo sent to staff, the layoffs include "significant role reductions" in the publisher's Irvine and San Diego offices, along with changes to its central publishing team.

Rather than pursuing more high-budget online games, Amazon said it will now focus its resources on Luna, the firm's cloud gaming platform.

'While we're proud of our successes in first-party AAA game development and publishing, we have made the difficult decision to halt a significant amount of our first-party AAA game development work, specifically around MMOs,' the memo stated.

The company added that it would pivot toward casual and AI-driven games tailored for cloud play, suggesting a significant shift away from the long-term live-service model that defined New World.

Amazon's Montreal studio will continue developing a strategy title called March of Giants, while its San Francisco-based partner Crystal Dynamics remains focused on producing the next Tomb Raider instalment.

Last week, Amazon also released a Luna-exclusive party game called Courtroom of Chaos, featuring an AI-generated digital version of rapper Snoop Dogg, as part of its new entertainment-driven approach.

A Rocky Road for Amazon Games

Amazon's foray into the video-game industry has been far from smooth. Despite massive investment and ambitious promises, the company has struggled to maintain consistent success in the competitive gaming market.

The studio did enjoy early hits with New World, which peaked at more than 900,000 concurrent players on Steam shortly after its 2021 release. Its publishing partnership with Smilegate on the Korean MMORPG Lost Ark also brought strong Western interest in 2022.

Yet both titles saw steep declines in player engagement over time, raising questions about Amazon's ability to sustain long-term live-service projects.

With New World now entering its sunset phase, analysts say Amazon's decision signals a strategic retreat from AAA game development and a stronger focus on integrating its gaming division into the company's broader technology ecosystem, led by Luna and AI content creation.

For the millions who once roamed the lush landscapes of Aeternum, New World ends not with a bang but with a quiet farewell — a reminder that even the might of Amazon cannot always guarantee survival in the world's toughest entertainment industry.