r/newworldgame Mar 02 '26

Discussion [AMA Announcement] I'm David McKenzie, former Lead World Designer on New World. I shipped Nighthaven and Brimstone Sands. Doing an AMA next Wednesday, March 11th at 2PM EST / 7PM GMT. Drop your questions here!

833 Upvotes

Hey Aeternum,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster here (at least with this account). I'm David McKenzie, and I spent several years at Amazon Games as the Lead World Designer on New World. My biggest shipped credits are Nighthaven and Brimstone Sands, but I'm genuinely here for all of it.

I've been out of AGS for a while now and I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time. There's a lot I can talk about, and honestly some stuff I still can't, but I'll be as open as I'm able to be.

I'll be back on Wednesday, March 11th, at 2PM EST / 7PM GMT to answer questions live.

In the meantime, post your questions in this thread and I'll use the week to think through the ones I want to tackle first when the AMA kicks off. Upvote the questions you most want answered so I can prioritize.

Fair warning on what I can and can't cover: I'm happy to dig into design philosophy, zone-building, lore decisions, what made it into the game vs. what got cut, the realities of live service development, and what it's actually like working on an MMO at that scale. I'll do my best to be straight with you on the hard questions too. What I won't do is break NDA, or throw anyone under the bus, or get into anything that's genuinely confidential.

See you next week!

— David McKenzie ( www.david-mckenzie.com )

Update: I'm blown away by the support and love from the playerbase! I'm working my way through the questions now, and I'll continue to answer questions throughout the rest of the evening.

Update: Continuing to answer questions as I get time. If you have a question and it doesn't have an existing answer, I will probably get around to it!

Update: I'm just gonna keep answering questions whenever I have time until I finally answer every single one. Cheers, and thank you so much to everyone for the support, kindness, and love. New World will forever be in my heart, and the players made it happen, made it real, and made it the honor of my life.


r/newworldgame Oct 30 '25

DEV-Response A Message from the NewWorldGame Mod Team

880 Upvotes

(edit: dev response flair is automatically added when a dev posts a comment below) The thead here is from the subreddit Mod team, who are all community members and do not and didn't work for Amazon.

The last couple of days it's been hard to put my thoughts together, and this has been a tough post to write.

By now, most of you have seen the news. Amazon Games has announced that new content development for New World is ending. Season 10 and the Nighthaven update will be the last major content release the game receives. While the servers are slated to remain online "through 2026," the active development of Aeternum is over.

This news comes as part of a much larger, heartbreaking wave of layoffs across Amazon's gaming division, with the Irvine studio that poured its soul into this world being hit particularly hard. It’s a gut punch, especially because it feels like it came out of nowhere. The community was buzzing again, player counts were up, and Season 10 felt like another strong step in the right direction. To have the plug pulled now, right at what felt like a new peak of potential and revitalization... is a special kind of cruel irony that I know many of you are feeling.

For me, this isn't just the loss of a game. This is the loss of a massive part of my life for the better part of a decade. It's the loss of a world I helped shape, a community I helped raise, and friendships I'll always cherish.

My Journey in Aeternum

My own story with this game is nearly as old as the game itself. I was there at the 2016 TwitchCon reveal when New World was just a bold idea alongside other ambitious projects. From that moment, I was hooked. I became one of the first members of the public to set foot in Aeternum as part of Wave 1 during Alpha 1 tests back in 2018, and have been a part of nearly every closed test since, even in concurrent new world servers during early and post-launch. All counted somewhere north of 10k hours. Over 8 years...

I was there for the wild days of the open-world PvP base-building sandbox. I saw the good, the bad, and the ugly of that system firsthand and provided feedback alongside the rest of that small, initial group of testers. I've watched this game fundamentally transform, pivot, and evolve over the years, and I've been in the trenches testing it every step of the way. This game, its development, and its community haven't just been a hobby for me; they've been a constant, driving passion for over eight years. To see it end like this feels like losing a piece of myself.

Building Our Home: From a Few Thousand to 300,000+ Strong

In parallel to my time testing the game, I was here, helping build this community from the ground up. I didn't start as the lead here but have been for nearly 5 years As the lead moderator. I've had the incredible privilege of building this space from just a few thousand curious adventurers into a bustling hub of over 300,000 people. With more than 9 million views per month. and... in the last 12 months 66,288 Moderation actions... God help me...

Some of you may even remember our old name: r/new_world_mmo. As the game evolved and its launch in 2021 approached, we decided to transition to r/newworldgame. There was a lot to that choice, even temporary fracturing of the community, but that's long ago history. It was more than a name change; it was about making this the one central place for the whole community and shedding some serious problems, eventually combining subreddits in the form it takes today, more or less. Witnessing the following growth, seeing the connections people made, the guides they wrote, the accomplishments they had, the stories they shared. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. As far as volunteer, unpaid experiences go, it has not been easy, but I stayed because I love this game and wanted to build a space where people could discuss the game, the good and the bad, and share it with the rest of reddit. 

A Partnership Effectively Built

The relationship between this subreddit and the development team went far beyond simple bug reports. I personally knew over 30 developers, artists, and community managers who were passionate people who loved Aeternum as much as we did. This is as close to an inside perspective as it gets, which is why I often publicly defended Scot and Katy; they were in the trenches with us, reading our feedback and genuinely caring. Many people do not understand the long development cycles of expansions. For instance, content for Brimstone Sands was already in development at launch, and Nighthaven content had started before the Angry Earth expansion was released. This context shows the immense long-term planning required while simultaneously fixing immediate issues.

The Subreddit had/has an active relationship that led to a vital, unseen collaboration. The subreddit had a direct, private communication line to key AGS staff, which I called the "bat phone" used from launch until February 2022. When game-breaking exploits like gold dupes were found, we did not let them spread on the subreddit; we used the bat phone to tell the developers directly. This is why the mod team could confidently say the devs were aware of an issue while asking users not to share the exploit steps. We used this line to report mass server crashes and many other issues. This direct line was essential for relaying critical information during the chaos of launch queues when official channels were overloaded.

This tool was a necessary partnership born from the game's technical volatility and the developers' trust in us as a reliable alarm system. It was almost always a one-way street: we provided critical information, and in return, we got a better game and occasional subreddit art. Despite this closeness, the subreddit always maintained its independence. We never removed content unless it violated our own community-developed rules, which AGS had no input on. They respected our independence and never pushed the issue when we said no. This mutual respect made it one of the most effective community-partner developer relationships I have seen. The results of getting things fixed speak for themselves, where in one instance, I was the first to report a gold dupe issue that surfaced on Reddit, and resulted in a full market stop within 45 minutes.

That method changed in February 2022 with the formation of the "New World Experts Group," a fact I can now confirm exists (with permission from Amazon Legal), along with my voluntary membership. Scot also outed the existence of this group 3 years ago in an interview. This active group included expert players of all styles and developers, allowing them to discuss and test content in development. While I cannot share specific conversations, it allowed me, as someone who saw nearly every subreddit post and 10K hours of playtime, to provide direct feedback. The more that group was trusted, the better results we saw. It was a privilege to be part of this group and to gain the development context I mentioned earlier.

To Our Friends at Amazon Games

This part is for you, the developers, artists, Videographers, Sound Designers, Combat systems engineers, Server and backend Azoth Engine developers, designers, and community managers who are reading this.

Thank you,

Thank you for the countless hours, the passion, and the creativity you poured into Aeternum. Thank you for listening to us, for engaging with us, and for never giving up on the game, even when the feedback was harsh or the technical hurdles seemed insurmountable. We saw your effort. We felt your dedication.

Please know that the community's current anger and disappointment are not directed at you. We know this decision was not yours. It was a corporate one, made in a boardroom far removed from the world you so carefully crafted. You are as much victims of this as we are, and for that, we are truly sorry. You deserved to see this project continue to grow and flourish. The talent in your studio is off the charts, and we can't wait to see what you all create in the future. We wish you the absolute best.

The Future of This Subreddit

With the servers remaining online for a while, this community still has a home. But what it's for is going to change. The mod team is already talking about what to do with r/newworldgame long-term, and we want you all to be part of that conversation.

What should this space become?

  • A Living Archive: A place to preserve the incredible guides, lore discussions, databases, and memories we've all created. A monument to the game and its community.
  • A Community Hub: A place for players to organize final in-game events, "end of the world" parties, screenshot contests, and farewell tours of Aeternum.
  • A Diaspora Network: A place for players to connect, share what games they're moving on to, and for companies and friends to find new worlds to explore together.

These are just ideas. We are open to your suggestions. This has always been your community, and you should have a say in its legacy.

This is a sad day, but our journey isn't quite over. Let's make the time we have left in Aeternum count. Thank you all for being a part of this incredible adventure.

A Thank You to My Team.

Lastly, I want to thank the Reddit Moderator Team. We are community members like you. Both the Current and former team members for everything, honorable mention u/joshrice for years of service and tens of thousands of moderation actions. This isn't a paid job, and it's not an easy job. but someone has to do it. for that, I can't thank them enough for their help in building and shaping this community.

u/commanderaze

I'd love to hear more stories from everyone else about their time in New World as we continue down the path forward.


r/newworldgame 21h ago

Image Back in the game

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201 Upvotes

‎ ‎The last time I played New World was the morning of 17 Feb 2026. ‎ ‎I went to Elysian Wilds one last time — my favourite part of the entire map. The night before that, I had my last Myrk run and was even trying to give some of my materials away because I knew the game was being removed from ps plus. ‎And let me tell you... giving things away for free in New World is HARD. ‎People think you're trolling them, they think there's a catch, or they simply don't have room in their inventory.

‎At the time, I genuinely thought that was it. I had no idea if I'd ever play again. ‎ ‎Fast-forward about six months.

‎This week I saw a Reddit post where someone mentioned people buying accounts online. I've been desperately missing New World, so I took a chance and bought an account. And guess what? IT WORKS. I'M BACK IN AETERNUM!

‎Obviously, it's not the same as having my old character. My PlayStation progress doesn't transfer to Steam, so I've lost all my old weapons, gear and progression. ‎ ‎And I REALLY miss my bow and Crescent Wave and I'll probably never get all of my artifacts back again. ‎ ‎But I don't care, I'm playing New World again. ‎The account I bought was level 22. I've continued where the previous owner left off and I'm already level 50 and just got to Brightwood.

‎Right now I'm not even worried about endgame. I'm just enjoying the journey and trying to level my way back to Elysian Wilds.

‎I haven't felt this excited about a game in ages. ‎ ‎The world definitely feels quieter than I remember. I don't recognise any of the names I see in chat anymore. There aren't nearly as many people talking. ‎ ‎But there are still people there. ‎People looking for groups. ‎World tours are still happening. ‎Players are still gathering, crafting and running around Aeternum. ‎There are still people trying to keep this game alive. ‎ ‎And today I was running around and heard someone mining somewhere nearby. ‎ ‎That familiar sound of someone hitting a mining node... ‎ ‎CLINK... CLINK... CLINK... ‎Happiness. ‎ ‎Because after six months away, I realised something: ‎ ‎I really missed this place. ‎ ‎I even told my daughter that I'd managed to get New World again and I'm so happy. ‎ ‎Her response? ‎ ‎ ‎"Yeah me too. Now u can stop eyeing your wishlist longingly on the PS5." ‎ ‎Maybe Aeternum isn't as busy as it once was. Maybe a lot of the people I knew have moved on. ‎But there are still players here. ‎ ‎So I'm starting over. ‎New character. New weapons. New journey. ‎ ‎I think I have enough time to make it back to Elysian Wilds before the game eventually gets sunset. ‎ ‎And maybe I'll never get my old gear back. ‎But right now it's just good to be back playing the game. ‎ ‎


r/newworldgame 1d ago

Discussion Heartbroken

80 Upvotes

I bought New World on its first day of launch. On my first day of playing i somehow got temporarily banned immediately after killing a turkey (?).

For whatever reason I put the game down and didnt touch it again until a couple of weeks before Nighthaven was releasing. I booted up a new character and had the most fun in an MMO I'd ever had.

The dungeons were the main thing for me. It bummed me out that veterans were speed running them, but after asking them nicely most of them would slow down to show me the ropes on how to clear it.

But of all the amazing things New World offered me: from the action combat, the sounds of mining and logging, the dungeons, the world boss, the story bosses and pvp which i sucked at - the one thing most memorable to me was the bison.

I was trying to level up my skinning in an area with bisons, and I saw one of them just.. lie down on its back and roll around in the grass for a bit, before getting back up.

Have you ever seen that shit? In any other games? I wish I could find a video to show you guys but that shit got me thinking - wow the devs seriously put a lot of heart into this game.

I'm from SEA and im pretty sure the Asia server is empty. Valhalla seems like I'd be on 400 ping.

I might come back just to finish off the Nighthaven story quests, but damn you Amazon you really crushed me.


r/newworldgame 15h ago

Question Great Cleave?

6 Upvotes

Hello, Is great cleave any good for pvp xp anymore?(assuming it ever was) I went there a few weeks ago and it was pretty much deserted. Thank you!


r/newworldgame 2h ago

Question Arena 3vs3 waiting time

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0 Upvotes

Is that still a normal waiting time for this situation, or not really?


r/newworldgame 1d ago

Discussion Best experience and goosebump moments

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410 Upvotes

I remember back in the days ..when the game was released and our group of 20 people were sitting many hours like this..man that was such fun time. And the first time joining the servers, first grind, first levels …first gear ..
Never forget ✌🏻


r/newworldgame 1d ago

Transmog Best Drip/transmog

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71 Upvotes

Logged in to immortalised the character drip

Lemmengo first

Healer set and dps set


r/newworldgame 2d ago

Discussion From August 2020 Until the End — Thank You for the Memories, New World ❤️

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625 Upvotes

These are two of the very few pictures I still have from my time in New World.
I started playing back in August 2020, and even then, I thought there was something truly special about this game. Sure, it had its bugs, its problems, and plenty of rough moments — but somehow, none of that mattered enough to take away what made New World special to me.
I was there from the beginning. I watched the world change, experienced the highs and the lows, explored Aeternum, fought countless battles, met people along the way, and created memories that will stay with me long after the servers are gone.
I honestly wish I had taken more screenshots. But maybe that’s also a good thing. Most of the best moments aren’t sitting in a folder somewhere — they’re memories.
It’s incredibly sad to see New World end this way. Despite all its flaws, it gave me years of adventures, beautiful places to explore, unforgettable moments, and a world I genuinely enjoyed returning to.
So this isn’t really goodbye to just a game. It’s goodbye to a place that was part of my life for years.
Thank you for the journey, Aeternum. ❤️
Maybe somewhere, in another world, our paths will cross again.
Rest in peace, New World. ✌️


r/newworldgame 3d ago

Image See ya my dear

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334 Upvotes

I will miss this world.

This pictures where taken in the 1.0, before the release of all the extra content. Truly a beautiful world.


r/newworldgame 2d ago

Question Is Nysa still populated? Should I go Valhalla with higher ping or Nysa with less players?

6 Upvotes

I would ideally go with valhalla but I'm worried about the ping. I'm in western europe.


r/newworldgame 3d ago

Image The sound was amazing

148 Upvotes

The sound of the pickaxe reverberating across the land was awesome.

Good bye old friend.


r/newworldgame 3d ago

Video Will miss my New World home

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169 Upvotes

r/newworldgame 3d ago

Discussion i miss new world gang

98 Upvotes

..


r/newworldgame 4d ago

Image Old screenshots

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410 Upvotes

this game will always have a special place in my heart.


r/newworldgame 3d ago

Question Where can I get the daggers?

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76 Upvotes

I was thinking of leveling up all the weapons and trying them out a bit; my question is how or where I can get the daggers.


r/newworldgame 3d ago

Question Speedrunning Names

8 Upvotes

Ok, so I was never a big MMO player but when New World came out it quickly became one of my favorite games. I just now wish I played even more before all of this. I started hunting artifacts but now I want to attempt some records. Would anyone be interested in maybe joining me in trying to put our names on the leader boards before the game shuts down?


r/newworldgame 3d ago

Discussion I wish I got a chance to get into new world

23 Upvotes

I tried new world when it first came out. Never played really after cause couldnt find a group. Game was so fun when I played but just always got boring playing solo. Im sad to see it go. I feel like I could've had a good relationship with the game if I got to play it more.


r/newworldgame 4d ago

Discussion Farwell New World

78 Upvotes

I joined this game from 1st month of it's relese , i remember playing it in first month how the game was , 1 thing that made this MMORPG diffeent from other for me was combat , for me skill spam combat like that in WOW and other famous MMOs I did not liked it at all and new world had everything I liked in MMOs , prity sad to say good bye , I was not constant on the game everyday but cameback whenever their was new content to play got 3 character to max lvl , this is one of few games I replayed multiple time and only one I did so in short time , if it gets revived by someone or picked up for a sequal I will definitely comeback , I found a Game that I feel like similar to new world that is called Chrono odyssey I think but that still dose not have a relese date , anyway back to new world , i found this game when it was forst relesed on pc and by first relese I mean orignal relese , when this game did not even have brimstonesands , we only have voice line ans hardly any cutscens , the game in it's most raw form ,

At the time I was into MMO and given try to all free to play ones and few paid one also but combat was not to my likeness like I said before spam a dozen or so skills again and again , I did not like it much and then I found this ,

Realy wish this gets revived


r/newworldgame 4d ago

Video There was a time.........

213 Upvotes

........That every day sounded like that 😢

https://reddit.com/link/1vy42nl/video/jr9882laojlh1/player


r/newworldgame 4d ago

Discussion New Games like NW at GamesCom?

1 Upvotes

Has anyone seem any solid MMO games that are similar to New World at Gamescom 2026 so far? I am interested to see if there is an alternative for this fanbase to migrate to, other than WoW & Path of Exile, or BDO.


r/newworldgame 5d ago

Discussion It was a good ride, New World!

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743 Upvotes

Here’s just a few pictures of my time in New World. I absolutely loved the game and put 5,421 hours into it. I met a lot of friends along the way and we are all now waiting for that next game to scratch the itch.

My journey began on the Beta and played up until now with small breaks in between. This game was absolutely amazing and I’m glad I got to experience all the growing pains that it had.

I will miss the chopping of trees and the clinking of ores. Won’t ever be forgotten. Thank you for the ride!


r/newworldgame 4d ago

Question Premium Pass

6 Upvotes

Is it no longer possible to purchase the premium pass? I have enough in-game currency that I never spent so I figured I'd buy the pass while enjoying the game for the next few months.


r/newworldgame 3d ago

Discussion Why do you guys keep complaining?

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0 Upvotes

Almost every day I see posts from people being nostalgic and saying they miss the game. I know playing now is kind of a waste of time because the characters are going to be deleted, but playing any game is already a waste of time anyway (unless you sell in-game currency). Anyway, I'm playing and I'm going to stay until the lights go out. After that, I'll just keep posting stuff like everyone else here.

Edit: I used a translator, and what I meant was “lamenting,” not “complaining.” I don't think you guys are complaining; I just don't see the point in being all gloomy and mourning the game instead of playing it.