Alistair McFarlane, COO and director at Facepunch Studios has publicly offered Amazon Games $25m to acquire New World. The proposal aims to prevent the MMO from shutting down entirely.
Simon, founder of Hypixel Studios, the one who just bought and launched Hytale also chimed in:
New World launched in 2021 as Amazon’s high-profile entry into the MMO space. The game drew massive player numbers at launch but has seen its population decline significantly over time. While Amazon hasn’t announced an official shutdown, the community treats the game as being on life support.
The Facepunch pitch isn’t just about keeping Amazon’s servers running. The proposal centers on transferring control to enable a community-hosted model similar to what keeps Rust thriving. Facepunch’s game survives through privately hosted servers that don’t require the developer to directly operate every environment.
This approach contrasts sharply with how most MMOs die. When publishers shut down games like WildStar or City of Heroes, players lose access entirely. The server code stays locked away, the client can’t authenticate, and years of player progress vanishes overnight.
The preservation argument has precedent. City of Heroes eventually returned through community-run Homecoming servers. Classic multiplayer games like Counter-Strike and early Battlefield titles still run decades later on community infrastructure. Rust itself proves the model works for ongoing games.
The Amazon math
For Amazon, $25m is pocket change. But accepting means admitting defeat on a major gaming initiative and handing off IP control to a smaller studio.
The tech barriers matter too. New World‘s server infrastructure likely spans multiple internal Amazon services. Licensing constraints on music, middleware, and anti-cheat systems could complicate any handoff. Operational costs include security, moderation, and customer support beyond just keeping servers online.
