Although New World had a pretty good start in 2021, the sad news came in January 2026: New World will be shut down in 2027. In a new video on the MeinMMO channel on YouTube, we explain how this could even happen.
What do we clarify in the video? In our new video on YouTube, we focus on the development of the Amazon MMORPG New World. The MMORPG launched in 2021 and had a pretty good start. However, the initial hype could not be maintained, and as announced on January 16, 2026, New World will be shut down on January 31, 2027.
How the promising MMORPG could fall so sharply in 5 years, we discuss in our new video on the MeinMMO YouTube channel. You can watch the 12-minute video here:
New World’s Development from 2016 to 2026
Which topics are the focus of our video? In the video, we discuss the development of New World in recent years. We start with the beginning of development by Amazon Game Studios in 2016. At that time, it was clear: The MMORPG aims to target a hardcore audience with an open PvP concept.
However, one problem was noticed as early as 2018. Such a concept can work, but not if you want to attract solo players or newcomers. In 2019, they backtracked and tried to head more towards a PvE MMORPG. But there was a lack of clear direction.
Instead of May 2020, the game was released in September 2021. The launch was quite good. Over 900,000 players were playing concurrently. However, there were further problems: server issues and long queues. A strong launch was marred by this.
In 2022, the technology was addressed. There were quality-of-life improvements, new weapons, and expeditions. Yet, even though the technical aspects improved, New World still lacked a cohesive approach.
In 2023, the first expansion followed, and in 2024, the game was adjusted and realigned as New World: Aeternum. However, neither the console versions nor a new direction as an action-RPG MMO could rekindle the community’s fire.
In October 2025, it was announced that Season 10 would be the final content update. On January 16, 2026, they became more specific: On January 31, 2027, the servers will be shut down, making New World unplayable. A sad message for fans who never gave up on the MMORPG despite its many issues.
If you want to read another analysis of the failure of New World and Amazon Games Studios in addition to our new video on YouTube, check out the analysis by our MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz: Amazon wanted to be a big player in gaming – The end of New World completes a sad story of failure
