In a move that has sent ripples through the gaming community, Amazon Games has officially pulled the plug on New World: Aeternum, its ambitious MMORPG that once promised endless adventures on the mystical island of Aeternum. As of yesterday, January 15, 2026, the game has been delisted from all digital storefronts, including Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox, and Amazon’s own platform. This means newcomers can no longer purchase the title, marking the beginning of the end for what was once one of Steam’s most played games. But for existing players, the journey isn’t over just yet – the servers will remain online until January 31, 2027, giving everyone a full year to wrap up their expeditions, battles, and resource-gathering sprees.
Launched originally as New World in September 2021, the game exploded onto the scene with massive player numbers, peaking at over 900,000 concurrent users on Steam alone. It blended survival elements, crafting, and large-scale PvP warfare in a supernatural colonial setting, drawing in fans of games like World of Warcraft and The Elder Scrolls Online. However, despite its strong start, New World struggled with ongoing issues like server queues, exploits, and a declining player base. In an attempt to revitalize it, Amazon rebranded and relaunched the game as New World: Aeternum in October 2024, expanding to consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X/S with cross-play support and new features aimed at solo players.
The decision to sunset the game comes on the heels of significant layoffs at Amazon Games, which affected over 14,000 employees company-wide in late 2025. This restructuring led to a strategic pivot away from MMO development entirely, with Amazon focusing instead on other gaming ventures like single-player titles and third-party publishing. In October 2025, the studio announced that the Nighthaven season, featuring new story content, mounts, and events, would be the final major update, signaling the wind-down phase. Now, with the delisting confirmed, the current season has been extended through to the shutdown date, ensuring players can enjoy world bosses, bonus weeks, and ongoing events without interruption until the very end.
For those who’ve invested time (and money) into Aeternum, the news is bittersweet. Existing owners can continue playing, redownloading, reinstalling the game on their platforms until the servers go dark. However, in-game currency purchases for Marks of Fortune will cease on July 20, 2026, and Amazon has made it clear there will be no refunds for any such transactions. If you’ve bought the game recently and feel shortchanged, the advice is to reach out to your platform’s customer support for potential refunds on the base purchase itself. Beyond that, expect no new content drops, server merges, or major patches, just maintenance to keep things running smoothly.
Player reactions have been mixed, with some expressing heartbreak over the loss of a game that fostered tight-knit communities and epic territorial wars. On X (formerly Twitter), posts from outlets like Gaming Instincts and Delisted Games highlighted the announcement, while individual users lamented the shutdown and even launched petitions to save the game. One user pleaded, “Save New World Aeternum before the server shutdown,” linking to a Change.org campaign urging Amazon to reconsider. Others pointed fingers at Amazon’s management, calling the handling a “clown show” amid the fresh content release in Season 10. Despite the outcry, Amazon has emphasized its gratitude to the community, stating in their official post that the team is committed to making the remaining time as enjoyable as possible.
This shutdown isn’t isolated; it follows Amazon’s cancellation of other MMO projects, including a Lord of the Rings title that was revived and then axed again in 2025. It raises questions about the sustainability of live-service games in an industry where even tech giants like Amazon struggle to maintain long-term engagement. For fans, it’s a reminder to cherish the worlds we inhabit while they last, Aeternum may fade, but the memories of sieges, alliances, and endless grinding will endure.
If you’re still adventuring in New World: Aeternum, now’s the time to rally your company and make the most of it. The Eternal Isle awaits, but only for another year.
