Amazon MMO New World ends active development amid mass layoffs

Amazon Games has confirmed that development on its MMO New World is ending as the company undergoes a large wave of layoffs.

The details:

• As first reported by Bloomberg, e-commerce giant Amazon has confirmed massive company-wide layoffs that will affect over 14,000 employees, with its California-based game studios hit hard by the cuts. As a result, Amazon Games is now taking a step back from developing MMOs. “While we’re proud of our successes in first-party AAA game development and publishing, we have made the difficult decision to halt a significant amount of our first-party AAA game development work — specifically around MMOs — within Amazon Game Studios,” vice president of Audio, Twitch, and Games Steve Boom wrote.
• Alongside the cuts, Amazon Games has also confirmed that its MMORPG New World is ending development. However, according to an FAQ posted to its official website, the game will remain online through 2026, with Amazon providing a minimum of six months' notice before making any changes that impact players' ability to play. New World will also continue to be available for purchase along with in-game currency, but the release of Season 10 and its Nighthaven update marks the end of new content, as the game is now in maintenance mode.
• The fate of Amazon's previously announced Lord of the Rings MMO remains uncertain following these cuts. The project, which was announced in May 2023 in partnership with Embracer Group's Middle-earth Enterprises, was being developed by New World studio Amazon Games Orange County. While Amazon has not officially confirmed the cancellation, multiple reports suggest the project has been halted as the developer begins to shift its focus to "casual and AI-focused games" for Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming platform.