Amazon Game Studios recently disclosed its decision to discontinue its popular fantasy massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, New World: Aeternum. The game, which once captivated hundreds of thousands of players, is slated to officially go offline on January 31, 2027. This announcement, communicated via a blog post, marks the end of an era for a title that, despite initial immense popularity, has seen a gradual reduction in new content. Players who currently own the game will still be able to engage with it until the specified closure date, though the window for purchasing in-game currency will close earlier, on July 20, 2026.
Amazon Game Studios Confirms End of Service for New World: Aeternum in 2027
In a significant development for the online gaming community, Amazon Game Studios, the developer behind the fantasy MMO New World: Aeternum, officially confirmed the game's impending cessation of operations. The closure is set for January 31, 2027. This decision follows a previous announcement in October 2025, where the studio indicated that the then-recently launched Season 10 and Nighthaven update would be the game's final significant content release. At that time, Amazon stated that continuing new content development for the game had become unsustainable, although there were no immediate plans for delisting. The game, initially planned for a 2020 release but launched in September 2021 after multiple delays, garnered immense popularity, leading to extensive server queues. It later expanded to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in October 2024. Despite its past success, ranking 11th in all-time peak players on SteamDB with 913,000 concurrent users, the studio has expressed gratitude to its dedicated player base for their passion and commitment throughout its lifecycle.
The sunsetting of New World: Aeternum provides a compelling case study on the lifecycle of online games, even those backed by major corporations like Amazon. It highlights the challenges in maintaining sustained player engagement and the economic viability of continuous content development in the highly competitive MMO market. This event may prompt a re-evaluation of long-term strategies for new online titles, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and innovation to endure beyond initial success. For players, it's a bittersweet moment, reflecting on the shared experiences and communities formed within Aeternum, and perhaps a reminder that even virtual worlds have their finite boundaries.