Shortly after the major layoffs at Amazon, the responsible parties of New World surprisingly announce that the MMORPG is coming to an end. This news comes at the worst possible time.
What exactly does Amazon Games announce? In a statement on the official website of New World, it states:
After four years of continuous content updates and a major new console version, we have reached a point where it is no longer sustainable to support the game with new content updates.
The recently launched Season 10 and the update: Night Oasis will serve as the last content release for New World on PC and consoles.
Furthermore, it is mentioned that with this decision in mind, the expansion Rise of the Angry Earth has been made available for free to PC players. In the coming weeks, further details about the end of New World will follow. However, the developers state that they intend to keep the MMORPG playable in 2026. There will be a corresponding announcement at least 6 months before the final end.
Lead developer Katy Kaszynski, who took over leadership from Scot Lane in May 2025, comments on X regarding the end:
It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to lead the development team of New World – the talent and creativity in this group are unmatched – and it has been a privilege to join all of you in Nighthaven. I am here and pushing buttons – you will still see me in Aeternum.
Katy Kaszynski on X
“Despicable”
How does the community react to the news? Surprised. Shocked. With incomprehension. After all, New World had achieved a significant turnaround after difficult years, delighting its players. Thus, many players are commenting on the quasi-end of the MMORPG in various discussions on Reddit.
- flowerboyyu writes on Reddit: “This is an absolutely terrible time. Just as New World was finally turning for the better and winning back players, the game is being cut / discontinued. It’s crazy to me that games like Rift and DDO can survive, but New World apparently cannot be saved. Wow, just wow.”
- clocktowertank sarcastically comments on Reddit: “The players like it and are having fun. Quick, take it down. TAKE IT DOWN!!”
- GodKingLebron expresses frustration on Reddit: “It’s so obvious that they calculated they might get a few last sales by releasing this update before laying off the people who worked on it and closing their game studio. Despicable. I wish I hadn’t bought the Battle Pass last week.”
Why the end? According to the official statement, it apparently no longer makes sense to invest much money and time into New World. However, there is likely more behind the end of New World, as the comprehensive layoff wave at Amazon makes clear, which MeinMMO reported on October 28, 2025.
It is obvious that a large part of the gaming sector of the corporation is being closed down. The studios in Irvine and San Diego are undergoing significant reductions. A spokesperson for Amazon stated to massivelyop.com that they want to continue overseeing Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark as publishers.
What about the Lord of the Rings MMORPG? There is currently no concrete information regarding the MMORPG based on Lord of the Rings that they wanted to develop for Embracer. Many fans suspect, however, that with the significantly reduced teams, such an ambitious project cannot be executed. The project is still listed on the official game overview at amazongamesstudios.com.
Nighthaven will be the last update for New World, here is the trailer:
How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz assess the situation? Looking back at the last 10 years during which Amazon has tried to become a big player in the gaming industry, this journey has already been filled with many hurdles, problems, and wrong decisions.
It somehow fits Amazon very well to bury New World exactly at the point when the MMORPG can noticeably experience positive momentum. And that they apparently made right decisions like the free provision of the expansion for PC players for the wrong reasons (after all, it’s dying soon, so we might as well release it).
I can understand the frustration of many players. I too had more fun in Aeternum lately than ever before. However, after this news, the motivation is at zero to log in again. Why should one still level up and gear their character? The servers will go offline anyway in the foreseeable future? There will be no new content. The player numbers are going to drop rapidly now.
At least now I know why no one at Amazon Games wanted to talk to us about the current high phase of the MMORPG. We had inquired shortly after the successful launch of the current season.
I am very curious as to when and in what form an official statement regarding the MMORPG for Lord of the Rings will be made. This brand is so large and beloved that it must be a kind of jackpot to be able to create a AAA game for it. At the same time, however, the pressure to deliver is naturally tremendous.
For my part, I would have loved to see how Amazon Games could develop a second MMORPG after the experiences they had with New World, especially one that they could also draw from a wealth of lore, stories, and characters. However, I also no longer believe that this will happen. Anyone who wants to revisit the path so far taken by Amazon Games should take a look here: Amazon has been trying to be a big player in gaming for 10 years; now it’s up to Lord of the Rings.
