Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Highguard character in purple and black armor
FPS Games Highguard is being "permanently shut down" next week, says Wildlight
Highguard
FPS Games Highguard boasted numbers "similar to what we saw at launch with Apex," says the doomed shooter's lead
Key art for World of Warcraft: Midnight showing Xal'atath hovering against a dark sky
World of Warcraft World of Warcraft: Midnight review: "My devotion to this RPG world has been renewed"
Key art for Highguard showing Kai riding a bear, Atticus with the Shieldbreaker, and Scarlet, crouched, aiming down sights
FPS Games With 1 week to live, Highguard is going out kicking with a final update as devs thank "everyone who has played" the FPS
Key art for Highguard showing Kai riding a bear, Atticus with the Shieldbreaker, and Scarlet, crouched, aiming down sights
FPS Games Ex Highguard developers blame "hubris" for the game's failure in new report
A shot captured in Final Fantasy 14 of three short elven-like characters known as Lalafells standing together with two humans, and two Miqo'te characters who have cat-like ears
RPGs The 10 best MMORPGs and MMOs to play in 2026
Mass Effect
Mass Effect "F***ing Colonel Shepard dies in Mass Effect 3, and that makes us the Worst Company in America," former EA exec laments
Highguard character in leather armor holding a rifle
FPS Games Highguard lead says "everyone has their thoughts on why the game failed to find an audience," but "many are way off"
Final Fantasy 11
Final Fantasy Despite contending with Final Fantasy 14, the 23-year-old FF11 is locking off a third server due to overpopulation
Load screen artwork for Atticus in Highguard, leaping in front of clouds with a charged lightning spear
FPS Games Games like Highguard are just "gambling by investors" who "know ahead of time a flop is likely," says indie legend
Red-eyed winged creature standing in front of stone steps
MMO Games Acclaimed fantasy MMO from former EverQuest and Asheron's Call leads launches out of Steam Early Access after 8 years
Highguard character in purple and black armor
FPS Games "There's no way this will flop": Laid-off Highguard dev says internal sentiment was high "but then the trailer came out"
Key art for Highguard showing Kai riding a bear, Atticus with the Shieldbreaker, and Scarlet, crouched, aiming down sights
FPS Games Highguard studio hit with mass layoffs as "most of the team at Wildlight" is let go
Highguard hero Scarlet
FPS Games "I wish Highguard had been received better," CEO admits, after cancelling a planned Apex Legends-style shadow drop
Grim Dawn
Action RPGs Diablo 2-inspired action RPG getting "final hurrah" expansion to "cement the game as a cornerstone" of the genre
  1. Games
  2. MMO Games
  3. New World

New World devs leave heartfelt tribute for players after Amazon starts sunsetting the fantasy MMO, and now I'm crying: "Thank you for so many stories"

News
By Anthony McGlynn published 30 October 2025

"Through it all, we watched. We delighted."

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

New World: Aeternum
(Image credit: Amazon Games)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
3
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Amazon is ending fantasy MMO New World, with season 10 being the last round of updates for the game. As players mourn seeing Aeternum fade into oblivion, the devs have left a little message to everyone who still boots up the magical realm.

Venturing toward Nighthaven, you can find a small note, typical of the chunks of lore strewn throughout, at the Tower of Strength, entitled "The Spirit of Aeternum." Fair warning before reading, you might want a tissue nearby, because this is some heartfelt stuff.

"We were there when you first found Thorpe in the forsaken grove after dragging yourself across a foreign beach," the message starts. "We were there when you found your first settlement, and explored its charm and denizens."

You may like
  • New World: Aeternum 4 years after launching MMO to nearly 1 million players, Amazon delists New World and sets final shutdown date for 2027
  • New World Garry's Mod and Rust studio lead says "games should never die" as Amazon MMO New World prepares to shut down
  • Screenshot of Anthem machine pilot lying on the leafy ground with visor open A week before BioWare's worst game meets its final end, Anthem players gather to mourn what might have been

Players have found a secret goodbye message from the devs in New World’s Nighthaven area pic.twitter.com/qqDgX8v0MBOctober 29, 2025

It goes through a number of activities people could get up to in New World, all the while reiterating that the devs were seeing and guiding everyone. Then the real dagger to the heart comes.

“Through it all, we watched. We delighted. We reveled in your enjoyment of every perfect moment, every carefully crafted story, and we even bore witness to the joining of two souls who met here in Aeternum," the note states. "We did it all for you, dear adventurer. Thank you for so many stories, triumphs, and fits of laughter."

The message ends with a tribute to four "fallen comrades": Divya, Shaun, Kelvin, and Aaron. It's a reminder that, regardless of whatever corporation funds a release, the people making and playing a game are just that, and when something the size of New World is turned off, a lot of interpersonal history goes with it.

Aeternum will remain intact through 2026, per Amazon, with a six-month allowance for any decisions otherwise. A small consolation for players whose lives were irrevocably altered.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

As New World dies thanks to Amazon, ex World of Warcraft lead thanks the devs who made it for "trying to keep the MMO dream alive" as he struggles with his own new MMORPG

CATEGORIES
PC Gaming PS5 Xbox Series X Platforms PlayStation Xbox
Anthony McGlynn
Anthony McGlynn
Social Links Navigation
Contributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
New World: Aeternum
4 years after launching MMO to nearly 1 million players, Amazon delists New World and sets final shutdown date for 2027
 
 
New World
Garry's Mod and Rust studio lead says "games should never die" as Amazon MMO New World prepares to shut down
 
 
Screenshot of Anthem machine pilot lying on the leafy ground with visor open
A week before BioWare's worst game meets its final end, Anthem players gather to mourn what might have been
 
 
Final Fantasy 11
Final Fantasy 11 devs pay tribute to 91-year-old grandma who played the MMO for almost 20 years before passing away
 
 
Anthem
Stop Killing Games says Anthem's scrapped plans for local servers is what the initiative is all about
 
 
Highguard character in leather armor holding a rifle
Highguard lead says "everyone has their thoughts on why the game failed to find an audience," but "many are way off"
 
 
Latest in MMO Games
Runescape
MMO raises subscription prices less than 2 months after ditching microtransactions, causing a RuneScape fan revolt
 
 
Xal'atath smugly grins in the World of Warcraft: Midnight cinematic 'Immolation'
WoW fans question Blizzard's $7.50 trees, prompting discounts – but some say new decor is "still comically overpriced"
 
 
Key art for World of Warcraft: Midnight.
WoW fans beg Blizzard to "turn down" the "noisy af" Sunwell after Midnight, but others surrender their ears to the light
 
 
Key art for World of Warcraft: Midnight showing Xal'atath hovering against a dark sky
World of Warcraft: Midnight review: "My devotion to this RPG world has been renewed"
 
 
Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail screenshot featuring character Y'shtola Rhul, a Miqo'te woman with white hair framing her face and cat-like ears
Another Final Fantasy 14 news blog shuts down as admin cites "weight of responsibility" after statement from Square Enix
 
 
World of Warcraft: Midnight
WoW Midnight sees MMO history repeat itself as players slaughter legions of frogs for skins
 
 
Latest in News
Kate Winslet at the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum casts Kate Winslet as female lead
 
 
Mario jumps over Bowser in the original Super Mario Bros
There's a "TV apocalypse" in video game preservation as CRTs go extinct, and that's just the tip of the iceberg
 
 
Slay the Spire 2
Slay the Spire 2 has delayed Palworld 1.0 "at least a whole day," jokes publishing head
 
 
Peak
Peak devs originally borrowed from Zelda Breath of the Wild's climbing, but "everything changed" 1 week into development
 
 
Nier Automata director Yoko Taro
Nier creator Yoko Taro thinks the indie game dev scene is "too intimidating for me to even think of entering"
 
 
Close up of blue Steam Machine light bar with beige backdrop.
Steam Machine could be partly to blame for PlayStation's reported plans to step back from PC, Bluepoint dev suggests
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Peak
    1
    Peak devs originally borrowed from Zelda Breath of the Wild's climbing, but "everything changed" 1 week into development: "At this point, the game kind of made itself"
  2. 2
    The mighty SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset just got a ridiculous Spring Sale price cut
  3. 3
    Rick and Morty takes aim at "AI slop" as it confirms season 9 release date: "Grade A organic slop, made by real humans"
  4. 4
    Valve has shared new Steam Machine Verified guidance at GDC, but I've no idea why hitting Steam Deck performance levels is part of the requirements list
  5. 5
    Super Mario minifigures are on the way in 2027, but what does it mean for the rest of the range?

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...