The operations chief at Facepunch Studios, the creators of Rust, has publicly offered $25 million to prevent Amazon Games from shutting down their MMO, New World.
Amazon Games’ New World was an instant success when it launched in 2021. The game quickly reached nearly a million players on Steam at its peak, but it struggled to maintain that popularity.
The game quickly lost players, falling from tens of thousands to just a few thousand within months. Even after a fresh start with a new name—New World: Aeternum—and with free trial weekends and new content added, it couldn’t regain its popularity.
Developers revealed on October 28, 2025, that they would stop updating the game. Shortly after, they announced a definite end date: January 31, 2027. On that date, the game’s servers will shut down on all systems, unless the team working on Rust intervenes.
Rust dev offers $25 million to save New World
New World is no longer available for purchase as of January 15, 2026. If you already own the game, you’ll be able to keep playing until January 31, 2027, after which it will become unplayable.
In a final message, the team expressed sadness at leaving but also gratitude for the time they spent with the community.
Lots of people online expressed disappointment about online games being shut down. But one game developer actually took action to address the problem.
Alistair McFarlane has worked at Facepunch Studios for more than ten years. He started as a Producer on the game Rust, then became a Company Director, and is now the Chief Operations Officer.
After learning the game was being discontinued, he made a $25 million offer to buy X (formerly Twitter). He explained his reasoning simply: “Games should never die.”
25m, final offer @amazongames
— Alistair McFarlane (@Alistair_McF) January 15, 2026
He had a clear vision for the MMO: give the community complete control. He believed allowing players to host their own servers would ensure the game’s long-term survival, stating that a dedicated community is what truly keeps a game alive.
It’s uncertain whether Amazon Games would even consider such a proposal, or if $25 million would be a sufficient amount to make a difference. Still, it’s interesting to hear from someone with a history of acquiring struggling games.
Simon Collins-Laflamme, the developer behind the incredibly popular game Hytale – currently the biggest hit of 2026 – replied to the offer from the Rust developer.
“If you need tips about buying cancelled games, [let me know], he said.
TopMob has reached out to both Amazon Games and McFarlane for comment.
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2026-01-16 07:19