Amazon Games Halts New World Content, Cuts Jobs Amid AAA Development Overhaul

Amazon Games Axes New World Content, Massive Layoffs Signal Shift in AAA Strategy

In a move that has sent ripples of disappointment through its player base, Amazon Games has announced the cessation of new content updates for its ambitious MMORPG, New World. This decision, described as "difficult," signals a significant pivot in the company's approach to large-scale game development, coinciding with substantial layoffs within Amazon Games.

A Farewell to Aeternum: The End of an Era for New World

New World: Aeternum, the relatively recent entry into the online survival MMO genre, will not see further content expansions. While the game's servers are slated to remain operational until 2026, the cessation of new content effectively marks the twilight for the game's active development cycle. The developers have stated that the recently released Season Ten and the Nighthaven update will be the final major content drops for both PC and console versions.

"After four years of continuous content updates and a major new content release for consoles, we've reached a point where we can no longer sustain the game with further updates," the developers communicated on the official New World website. "The recently released Season Ten and the Nighthaven update will be the last content release for New World on PC and consoles."

To express gratitude for the community's enduring support, Amazon is making the Nighthaven update freely available to all players. Furthermore, the "Rise of the Angry Earth" expansion will also be offered at no cost on PC, ensuring broader access to the game's existing content for its dedicated, albeit diminishing, player base. More detailed information regarding the game's eventual sunsetting is expected in the coming months.

Broader Strategic Realignment and Layoffs at Amazon Games

The halt in New World's content pipeline is not an isolated event. It's part of a larger, strategic overhaul at Amazon Games, accompanied by "significant" layoffs. A leaked internal memo from Steve Boom, Amazon's VP of Audio, Twitch, and Games, revealed to publications like Variety, shed light on these drastic changes. These reductions are framed as a response to Amazon's company-wide cost-cutting measures and a re-evaluation of Amazon Games' mission to deliver "the best game experience for customers, leveraging what Amazon does best."

Boom pointed to Amazon Luna, the company's cloud gaming service, as a successful example of its gaming endeavors. He highlighted its focus on "entertainment streaming and delivering value to Prime members," citing unusual projects like an AI-powered game featuring Snoop Dogg as a judge – a concept that drew considerable online commentary upon its release.

Scaling Back AAA Ambitions: The Future of Amazon's Game Development

The memo explicitly stated a "difficult decision to pause a significant portion of our internal AAA game development, particularly related to MMOs, at Amazon Game Studios." This impacts development teams in Irvine and San Diego, as well as the central publishing team. While New World was a flagship MMO project, its fate underscores a broader retrenchment in the company's internal AAA game development ambitions.

Despite this significant scaling back, Amazon Games isn't exiting the AAA space entirely. The company remains committed to ongoing projects, including the new Tomb Raider game in collaboration with Crystal Dynamics and an open-world title being developed by Maverick Games. These partnerships suggest a strategic shift towards external development and more focused internal projects, rather than pursuing a wide array of internally developed, large-scale MMOs.

A Mixed Legacy for New World

New World, despite not achieving blockbuster success, cultivated a loyal following. Its concurrent player numbers, while fluctuating, saw peaks of 50,000 to 60,000 players, indicating a level of engagement that many, including PC Gamer, believed could have been sustained with continued developer support. The game's current availability for purchase and in-game currency transactions continues, though the long-term value proposition for new players is undeniably diminished.