Rust Dev Offers $25M to Save Amazon’s New World MMO Before Closure

Amazon’s online role-playing game, New World, is set to be discontinued, bringing an end to a challenging period for the company’s gaming division. The servers for New World: Aeternum will be taken offline at the end of January, as announced earlier this week.

Launched in September 2021, New World initially garnered notable attention, peaking at over 900,000 concurrent players on Steam. The game was developed by Amazon Game Studios and was intended to be a flagship title for the company’s foray into the competitive online gaming market. However, the game faced numerous hurdles following its release, including criticisms regarding repetitive gameplay, exploits, and server instability.

Despite attempts to address these issues through updates and patches, New World struggled to retain its player base. Player counts steadily declined over the following months, and the game failed to achieve long-term success. Amazon Game Studios has been undergoing restructuring in recent years, and the decision to shut down New World is seen as part of a broader effort to refocus the company’s gaming strategy.

Refunds will be issued to players who purchased New World within the past 90 days.Further details regarding the shutdown process and refund eligibility can be found on the official New World website. The closure of New World serves as a cautionary tale in the highly competitive gaming industry, highlighting the challenges of developing and maintaining a accomplished online game.