Amazon is slashing its video game efforts, and the fallout looks worst for its most successful MMO, New World. Despite daily peaks nearing 40,000 players, the servers are slated to shut down sometime in 2026—the clearest sign that Amazon’s reset is bad news for its online worlds.

For years, the company has tried to carve out a lane in gaming—through first-party launches, publishing partnerships, and cloud pushes like Luna. Now, after mixed results, Amazon Games is heading into a sweeping restructure that sharply scales back its ambitions.

Per an internal report cited by Bloomberg, Amazon will impose “significant” reductions across its games business and largely halt development of mass-multiplayer online projects. The move includes 14,000 layoffs and directly affects the Irvine and San Diego teams tied to New World, the Lord of the Rings MMO, and core publishing operations. It’s a pivot that lands hardest where Amazon has seen its biggest live-service success.

Practically, that means New World servers will go dark in 2026 following today’s cuts, with Season 10 and Nighthaven serving as the final content beats. As the official site puts it: “While New World won’t be receiving any new content updates, the servers will remain active until 2026. We’ve focused on completing the Season 10 update. To thank the community, Nighthaven is now free, and the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion is free for all PC players.”

Amazon isn’t abandoning games entirely. It will continue publishing Crystal Dynamics’ new Tomb Raider and Maverick Games’ open-world racer that evokes Forza Horizon 5. There’s momentum in Montreal too: March of Giants is moving forward after a well-received closed alpha. The company frames the overhaul as a bid for agility amid the AI boom. In practice, Amazon Games appears to be shifting toward more sustainable products and third-party partnerships—while pulling back from MMOs.

Source: 3DJuegos