Amazon decided to stop further updates for New World: Aeternum amid layoffs, and a developer has shared that fans can find a heartfelt message from the development team saying goodbye to fans.
While it may have come as a complete shock that Amazon is ending updates for their MMO, New World: Aeternum, developers have left something in the title for fans to discover while the game remains up. For the uninitiated, this week, Amazon Games made significant layoffs (part of the massive 14,000 job cuts announced by Amazon) to its workforce, reflecting “strategic changes” at the company. This included “the difficult decision to halt a significant amount of our first-party AAA game development work—specifically around MMOs.” This announcement included the MMO, New World: Aeternum, which has been confirmed to receive no further content updates. With that designation, Aeternum could be gone completely by the end of 2026.
While the stop work notice on New World: Aeternum was a surprise to fans, developers have snuck in a farewell message to fans, as if they knew the writing was on the wall before the final Season 10 and Nighthaven update launched. Senior game designer Rachel Barnum posted the location of the note (on her official X account), which can be found on an island near the Tower of Strength in Nighthaven. Barnum credits the note to game designer Jason Bowes, and the post can be seen below.
The farewell note (found by PC Gamer) says, “Through it all we watched. We delighted. We revelled in your enjoyment of every perfect moment, every carefully crafted story, and we even bore witness to the joining of two souls who met here in Aeternum. We did it all for you dear adventurer,” in a solemn sign-off from the developers. The recently released Nighthaven expansion will be the last addition to New World.
Although the writing is on the wall, Amazon has promised to keep the servers “live through 2026.”
It’s always tough to see a game come to an end, especially with so much effort put into it. The farewell message really highlights the passion of the developers. It’s a bittersweet moment for the community.
You’re right, it’s really disheartening to see a game that had potential come to such a close. The dedication from the developers shows how much they believed in the project. Hopefully, they can take the lessons learned here into their future endeavors.
Absolutely, it’s tough to watch a game with so much promise end like this. It’s interesting to think about how player feedback shaped many updates, and it makes you wonder how different things might have been with more support.
that the game’s community had such a strong impact on its development. It’s a reminder of how player feedback can shape a game’s journey, even if the outcome isn’t what everyone hoped for. Let’s hope the developers take these lessons to heart in their future projects.
Absolutely, it’s fascinating how player feedback can shape a game’s evolution. This farewell message really highlights the dedication of the developers, and it’s a bittersweet moment for fans who’ve invested so much time and passion into New World. It’s a testament to the bond between developers and the community.