While Amazon's announcement that it would be ending updates for its MMO New World: Aeternum came as a [[link]] surprise to many, given that MMOs with lower player counts have carried on for years, it didn't come to a surprise to all of the devs. At least, not to the ones who snuck a goodbye letter into the Nighthaven expansion released on October 13.
Senior game designer Rachel Barnum tweeted the location of the note, which can be found on an island near the Tower of Strength in Nighthaven, crediting it to quest/level/game designer Jason Bowes. It reads:
We were there when you first found Thorpe in the forsaken grove after dragging yourself across a foreign beach. We were there when you found your first settlement, and explored its charm and denizens. We were there when you fought pirates, tigers, corrupted, ghosts, and all manner of [[link]] hazards across the land. We were there when you set foot on forsaken sands filled with lost secrets and hidden dangers. We were there when you discovered the untamed wilds filled with beasts and verdant jungles. We were there when you crept into the dark heart of lands filled with opulence, madness, and terror.
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.
We did it all for you dear adventurer.
Thank you for so many amazing stories, triumphs, and fits of laughter.
We raise a glass to our fallen comrades:
Divya
Shaun
Kelvin
Aaron
Good luck, and good night.
The Nighthaven expansion and accompanying update will be the last addition to New World, though bug fixes and some seasonal events will continue, and Amazon has committed to keeping the servers "live through 2026". Though the option to buy New World was removed from Steam, that was apparently an accident, and it's now been restored for anyone who wants to join the funeral march as another MMO begins its crawl toward the grave.
