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"

New World: Aeternum
(Image credit: Amazon Games)

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.

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.

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Anthony McGlynn
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.

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