Rust Creator Offers $25M to Amazon to Save New World MMO
▼ Summary
– Amazon Game Studios is shutting down its MMO New World and delisting its console/PC version, with servers going offline in late January 2026.
– Alistair McFarlane, director of Rust studio Facepunch, has publicly offered Amazon $25 million to buy New World, stating “games should never die.”
– The offer may be made in jest, as it appeared in a joking thread, but McFarlane suggests Amazon could empower the community by making servers publicly hostable.
– Other developers, including from Palworld and Hytale, engaged with the proposal, with Hytale’s creator noting his experience buying back a canceled game.
– New World initially had high player numbers but declined due to poor quests and endgame, though it was praised for its visuals, combat, and large-scale PvP.
The director behind the massively popular survival game Rust has made a surprising public offer to purchase the struggling MMO New World from Amazon. Alistair McFarlane, COO and director of Facepunch Studios, has proposed a $25 million deal to buy the game, which Amazon Game Studios recently announced will be shut down at the end of January. This bold move comes with a passionate statement from McFarlane that games should never die, sparking widespread discussion within the gaming community.
New World initially saw explosive popularity, nearly reaching one million concurrent players on Steam at launch. However, player numbers sharply declined due to criticisms of its repetitive quests and underdeveloped endgame content. Despite its rocky journey, the game maintained a dedicated player base who appreciated its visually stunning world, satisfying combat mechanics, and epic 50-versus-50 player battles. Amazon’s decision to delist the console and PC version, New World: Aeternum, and schedule a server shutdown has left many fans disappointed.
While McFarlane’s offer was posted in a somewhat humorous thread, where another developer joked she couldn’t get him to buy the game for her, it has ignited serious conversation about preserving online worlds. McFarlane emphasized that empowering the community is key to longevity, suggesting that Amazon should make servers publicly hostable to let dedicated fans keep the game alive indefinitely. This philosophy aligns with Facepunch’s approach to Rust, which has thrived for over a decade through strong community support and modding.
The proposal caught the attention of other notable figures in the industry. The communications director for Palworld jokingly offered to split the cost if an original alpha version of New World was released as a separate mode. Simon Collins-Laflamme, creator of the newly launched sandbox RPG Hytale, also chimed in with support, offering advice based on his own experience. Collins-Laflamme successfully bought back his project after Riot Games canceled it and shuttered his studio, subsequently releasing it in Early Access to significant success.
Whether McFarlane’s multi-million dollar bid is a genuine business proposition or an elaborate joke remains unclear. So far, the only response he has acknowledged from Amazon is an update regarding a delivery of beef jerky. The situation highlights a growing sentiment that major publishers should consider alternative paths for sunsetting games, such as selling them to other studios or releasing server tools to the player base. For now, fans of New World can only wait to see if this unexpected offer leads to a last-minute rescue or simply becomes a memorable footnote in gaming history.
(Source: Windows Central)
