⚠️ Feedback on New World: Aeternum – Two Weeks of Progress Before the Rug Was Pulled

I’ve been part of New World since the alpha and beta days, and I’ve supported it through every stage — buying every premium season pass for the seasons I played, and many skins and costumes even before seasons were ever introduced — because I genuinely believed in what the game could become. When Aeternum launched, it finally felt like that belief was rewarded. The first couple of weeks of Season 10 were some of the most enjoyable I’ve had in a long time: healthy populations, active servers, and a real sense that the game was finding its footing again.

During that time, I had already purchased the Season 10 pass on day 1 and played it all the way through — unlocking the fox mount at level 100. I was actively preparing to reunite with my friends who were on another server, something we’d been planning since before the season started. I even contacted support ahead of Season 10 to see if there was any way to move early, since my character originally started on that same server.

When transfers finally reopened, I immediately bought one — about two weeks into the season — to join my friends for what we all thought would be a revitalized era for the game. An hour or two later, the announcement dropped: Season 10 would be the last, and all future development was ending.

The servers may technically stay up through 2026, but the reality has been brutal. Less than 24 hours before that announcement window, New World had over 50,000 concurrent players on Steam — the highest numbers seen in months. Within two days, that number collapsed by roughly 90%, falling to just a few thousand active players. Towns that were alive with activity only days ago are now ghost towns. The camps outside Windsward — once the starting point for countless new journeys — feel more like a memorial. Some players have even built makeshift headstones, gathering one last time to say goodbye to a world we genuinely cared about.

What makes this worse is how players were led to believe the game still held growing value right up until that announcement. My own example says a lot: the Digital Deluxe Edition, which I bought long ago, was suddenly being sold for nearly double what I originally paid. I know this because I’d checked the store page just before reaching out to support about my refund — and because I’d actually planned to gift a copy to a friend. In hindsight, I’m glad I didn’t.

At that point, New World seemed more valuable than ever — and honestly, that perception was true thanks to the developers. The Season 10 pass felt like one of the best yet, full of creativity and care. Unfortunately, that value now feels like it was twisted into bait — an illusion of revival used to drive last-minute sales before higher-ups pulled the plug.

The most frustrating part is that the decision to end development clearly wasn’t made overnight. Internal restructuring and layoffs, including within New World’s leadership and parts of the Irvine studio, were already underway while players were still being encouraged to invest in what was marketed as a new beginning.

For long-time players, that feels like a complete breach of trust. Live-service games depend on good faith — the understanding that our time and money hold meaning for at least the near future. Selling premium content, increased-priced editions, and transfers under the promise of a fresh start, only to reveal hours later that development is ending, crosses a line.

This situation has shattered the community’s trust. Future projects of this scale will struggle to gain support because players have learned that their investment can vanish overnight. Platform holders like Steam need to hold publishers accountable so that this kind of rollout doesn’t become the norm.

If live-service games are going to survive, transparency and honesty have to come first. Players deserve to know when a “new era” is really just the end.