The clock on New World: Aeternum is formally ticking, with developer Amazon Video games saying that there is only one yr left earlier than its bold MMORPG is taken offline eternally. However there’s doubtlessly a small spark of hope; Alistair McFarlane, COO and director of Rust dev Facepunch Studios, has made a public assertion to Amazon Video games suggesting he’d be ready to pay ’25 million’ for the rights.
Amazon introduced in October 2025 that it was halting plans to make something new for New World: Aeternum transferring ahead. Regardless of reaching one of many greatest Steam peaks we have ever seen when it launched, it is failed to achieve anyplace close to these heights since, regardless of non permanent participant rely spikes after its Aeternum rebrand and when it made its Rise of the Indignant Earth growth free to all gamers. This week, Amazon confirmed that New World could be delisted on Thursday January 15, which means it is already been faraway from sale, and that servers can be totally taken offline on Sunday, January 31, 2027.
When you already personal a duplicate of New World, you are free to obtain and play it for the remaining time, although you will be caught in limbo on the Nighthaven season for the total twelve months. There is a distinctive feeling to spending time in a group will not final eternally, so I would not be too shocked to see gamers taking advantage of the times and weeks they’ve left, even when it is to arrange the place they’re going to all meet up subsequent yr.
However might we see New World reside on past that deadline in a unique type, due to a suggestion of salvation from Rust’s inventive director? It is a faint dream, however after the shock return of Hytale, I am prepared to imagine something is feasible. Rust continues to take a seat amongst Steam’s most-played a full decade after launch, suggesting McFarlane is probably going in a position to again up his offhand comment of “25m, remaining supply @amazongames,” which he posted on X. It is price noting that Facepunch is a UK-based studio, so the forex of that ’25 million’ may very well be up for debate.
Fairly how honest the supply can be stays to be seen – McFarlane’s submit comes as a reply to Facepunch group director ‘Errn’ writing, “I attempted to get Ali to purchase [New World] for me however he informed me to fuck off.” Nonetheless, he does instantly tag Amazon Video games within the submit, and follows it up by merely stating, “Video games ought to by no means die.”
Hytale co-founder (and now proprietor as soon as extra) Simon Collins-Laflamme naturally takes a second to chip in, saying “When you want recommendations on shopping for canceled video games, let me know.” Simply six months after his announcement that he was trying to re-purchase the rights to Hytale from Riot Video games, it is already out in early entry and proving an actual winner among the many group.
Remember the fact that, even when this New World takeover had been to occur, it probably would not be some grand revival. Requested what he’d really do with the challenge, McFarlane responds, “As with the whole lot we do at Facepunch, empower the group. Give them management, make servers publicly hostable. A sport will reside eternally within the arms of a devoted group.”
Joke or not, the sentiment is actually very actual. Whereas New World by no means met the lofty expectations it was set, there can be many who’re unhappy to see it go, and it would be a disgrace if there was no official option to protect a server for those who needed to keep it up.
