The End of Aeternum: New World’s Final Chapter
Amazon’s MMO shutting down January 2027 • Rust director offers $25M lifeline
Amazon Games has announced the shutdown of New World: Aeternum, with servers going offline permanently on January 31, 2027. The game was delisted from all digital storefronts on January 15, 2026, meaning new players can no longer purchase it.
The decision follows Amazon’s October 2025 announcement that no additional content would come after Season 10 and the Nighthaven update. Around this time, Amazon cut approximately 14,000 corporate positions across multiple departments, including significant reductions in its video games division as the company shifted focus toward AI investments.
Despite the shutdown announcement, a potential rescue effort has emerged from an unexpected source: Facepunch Studios, the developer behind Rust and Garry’s Mod.
Timeline: The Journey to Shutdown
Following the shutdown announcement, Alistair McFarlane, COO and director of Rust developer Facepunch Studios, publicly offered to purchase New World from Amazon Games.
A Glimmer of Hope?
— Alistair McFarlane, Facepunch Studios COO
McFarlane posted his offer on social media, stating it was a “final offer” to Amazon. While the tone of the post left some uncertainty about whether it was entirely serious or partly humorous, McFarlane has a track record of supporting game preservation. Facepunch’s own games, Garry’s Mod and Rust, have continued to thrive years after their original releases.
His proposal includes empowering the community by making servers publicly hostable, ensuring New World could continue in the hands of dedicated players even after official support ends. McFarlane emphasized that a game can live forever when the community has control.
Support for game preservation efforts has also come from Simon Collins-Laflamme, co-founder of Hypixel Studios and creator of Hytale. Collins-Laflamme successfully bought back Hytale from Riot Games in November 2025 after it was cancelled, and launched it in Early Access on January 13, 2026. He offered tips about buying cancelled games, demonstrating that such rescues are possible.
As of now, McFarlane has jokingly noted that the only response from Amazon has been about his beef jerky delivery.
What Players Need to Know
The shutdown of New World: Aeternum was discussed by Amazon Games in their official announcement on January 15, 2026. The development team expressed gratitude to the community and extended the Nighthaven season until the final server closure.
Players who purchased the game prior to delisting retain access until January 31, 2027. The proposal from Facepunch Studios remains pending, with no official response from Amazon Games regarding the $25 million offer.
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