New World: Aeternum is dead! While players are still enjoying Season 10, and even seeing a rebound in player numbers since Season 9, the end is hanging over New World.
New World: Aeternum Season 10 was just released two weeks ago, and Rise of the Angry Earth DLC was released for free, and everything seemed to be getting better. Why did New World: Aeternum come to an abrupt end? We need to see the latest announcement.

What Happened?
In the announcement on October 28th, the developers stated that New World will cease providing new content updates at the end of 2026. The servers will continue to operate until 2026 (possibly until the end of the year), or even early 2027, but will eventually shut down. The official announcement promised to notify players six months in advance before the closure.
The recently released Season 10: Nighthaven will be the last major content update for the game on PC and console platforms. The game will enter Maintenance Mode, meaning the official team will only perform necessary bug fixes and server maintenance, and will no longer develop new content.
Current Game Status
The game is no longer available for sale on Steam, but it may still be available on the official website. In-game currency and micro-transactions will remain open, allowing players to trade items and New World coins with other players. Players with PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium memberships can continue playing.
Halloween Event will be the last holiday event; subsequent winter events and similar events will not be held. The official team will perform necessary bug fixes to maintain server stability, but there will be no new content.
Before the announcement, the total number of players on PC and console platforms was approximately 80,000. After the announcement, the player count has plummeted.
Why Is It Shutting Down?
The primary and most direct reason for the closure of New World: Aeternum is massive layoffs at its parent company, with some reports suggesting up to 30,000 employees affected.
The video game division was severely impacted, with 2 studios developing New World: Aeternum being almost entirely shut down. A game project based on Lord of the Rings IP was also cancelled.
New World: Aeternum's parent company announced a shift in resources towards AI, calling it "the most transformative technology since the internet." However, they didn't completely eliminate the game division; instead, the focus shifted to developing AI casual games, such as Snoop Dogg game mentioned in the announcement.
Other retained projects include the mobile game March of Giants, a new Tomb Raider title under a publishing agreement, and an open-world driving game.
New World: Aeternum's Own Problems
New World: Aeternum received significant resources from the company from the outset, boasting top game developers and a highly skilled workforce. It garnered tremendous attention before its release, even reaching a peak of 1 million players at launch.
However, due to management issues, New World: Aeternum was practically a half-finished product upon launch, suffering from optimization problems and insufficient content, leading to a significant loss of players.
After reaching a peak of 1 million players at launch, the game's player base never returned to that level. Although Season 10 performed well and player numbers rebounded somewhat, in the long run, the game failed to achieve the expected commercial success.
Player Reactions And Impact On The Game
New World: Aeternum Season 10 was actually of high quality. Its content design was excellent, and the combat system had no major bugs. The main problem was insufficient loot, forcing players to repeatedly farm ECRS in the late game.
However, knowing the game had no future, most players lost the motivation to continue playing, because the core appeal of MMOs lies in a continuously developing and evolving world.
Soon, you'll see the in-game economy (trading, auction house, guild activity) weaken due to the reduced player base, and community activities, group raids, and PvP participation decline.
And this current news may very well cause a temporary rebound in player numbers. Because players eager to enjoy the final season might return early or speed up their play, if you want to have a blast before the final moments arrive, it is the perfect time to squander your New World coins and items.
Potential Endings
The game is still running, and New World: Aeternum's fate isn't necessarily sealed. There are two possible outcomes:
- The game remains in maintenance mode until the servers shut down.
- The game's IP might be sold to a third-party company.
However, this essentially means its parent company will no longer develop MMOs. Currently, the entire game industry, especially the high-cost, high-risk MMO sector, is in a very unstable and pessimistic period. Most successful MMOs are currently based on existing IPs, and it's difficult for entirely new IPs to break through and achieve success. New World: Aeternum's early setbacks and its current ending exacerbate this predicament.
New World: Aeternum isn't the best, nor is it the worst MMO. Its focus on PvP and combat gameplay is unique among MMOs, but unfortunately, it's now lying in a coffin awaiting burial. If you still love this game, then this is its last moment of glory. Enjoy the game.





















