Amazon has announced that its MMO, New World, will be officially taken offline from all platforms on January 31, 2027.
The game is now delisted, which means it is no longer available for purchase. You can still play New World until January next year, with the Nighthaven season extended until the servers are taken offline.
“We want to thank the players for your dedication and passion,” a statement on the New World website reads. “We are grateful for the time spent crafting the world of Aeternum with you. Together we built something special. While we are saddened to say goodbye, we’re honored that we were able to share so much with the community.
“It has been our pleasure to work on New World: Aeternum and evolve this unforgettable adventure with you all. We look forward to one more year together, and giving this fantastic adventure a sendoff worthy of a legendary hero. From the bottom of all our hearts, thank you for sharing this world with us.”
New World was a rare hit for Amazon in the video game space, and followed multiple flops that resulted in game and studio closures. The MMO set in an alternate 1600s America saw huge player numbers on Steam, with a whopping 913,634 peak concurrents on Valve’s platform back in 2021. Player numbers significantly declined following that peak, however.
Bloomberg had reported that Amazon was cutting back especially on MMOs, but would continue to develop Amazon Games Montreal’s March of Giants, its new Tomb Raider game in the works at Crystal Dynamics, and “casual and AI-focused games” for its cloud gaming service Luna. UK studio Maverick Games were said to be continuing to work on its racing game, too. Following the news about New World, there was concern over the status of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings MMO. Amazon has yet to provide an update on it.
But is there hope for New World yet? Alistair McFarlane, COO and company director at Rust developer Facepunch Studios, tweeted to offer Amazon $25 million for New World, adding: “Games should never die.” “If you need tips about buying cancelled games, lmk,” Hypixel Studios founder Simon Collins-Laflamme, who rescued Hytale after years spent in the doldrums at League of Legends maker Riot Games, replied.
It sounds like McFarlane has thought about this, explaining what should happen to New World rather than closure: “As with everything we do at Facepunch, empower the community. Give them control, make servers publicly hostable. A game will live forever in the hands of a dedicated community.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
I think we all want it to be true that the Monster Hunter Wilds’ infamously limp PC performance can be blamed upon, as was reported yesterday, an overzealous DLC checking process gumming up what might overwise be a perfectly fine-running beastfight game. Partly because it just sounds funny. Willing but frustrated graphics elves running about, harangued to distraction by a hairstyle add-on overseer nagging for licenses, like a Daily Telegraph reader demanding to know why you aren’t wearing a poppy on November 3rd.
The best part? All evidence suggests it genuinely is true – albeit only to varying degrees, and in the case of my own testing, nowhere near as drastically as in the originally discovered case.
LEGO’s upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time set featuring Link and Zelda’s climactic battle with Ganon has leaked online, alongside its pricing and release details.
The Final Battle will be a 1,003-piece design that launches on March 1, according to Brick Tap. The set will be priced at $129.99 / €119.99 / $99.99 — a cost that has raised eyebrows among fans when compared to other, non-licensed LEGO offerings.
At least the design itself is going down well, with fans praising the look of Ganon in his pig-human guise, and the inclusion of three The Legend of Zelda minifigurines: Link, Zelda, and a human form of Ganondorf. You’ll also get a set of recovery hearts, Navi, and the Megaton Hammer.
The set features the flaming rooftops of Hyrule Castle, where Ocarina of Time’s dramatic final boss fight takes place in the classic N64 video game. LEGO had teased this location previously in an earlier sneak peek at the set — presumably an official reveal isn’t far off.
“It’s INCREDIBLE,” wrote Zelda fan TheLegendofCap via reddit. “I’m buying this day one for sure. Happy we’re getting a Ganondorf minifigure.” Added Donkeyrocket: “Yeah, the Deku Tree set is pretty cool but I’d be far more eager to have this one as a display piece. Really good size and detail.”
LEGO’s first foray into The Legend of Zelda came in September 2024, when it launched a Great Deku Tree set. This included versions of the tree from both Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, as well as two sets of Link and Zelda minifigures.
Abandon your plans to run for public office. If you don’t, you’ll not be eligible to apply to be a contestant on the Fallout Shelter reality TV series Amazon are now working on, following the success of their other Fallout show. Stop protesting, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be locked in a set resembling a vault and subsequently have your mind messed with as you and your fellow inmates take on a bunch of challenges.
Now that we’re in the new year, it seems this set might have actually leaked ahead of the official reveal. As the rumours suggested, it appears to be a diorama based on the “final battle” between Link, Zelda and Ganondorf in the N64 hit, Ocarina of Time.
Nintendo officially launched Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch 2 this week, and since then, some video comparisons have now popped up online.
One of these has been shared by the YouTube channel ‘ElAnalistaDeBits’, which not only presents a side-by-side visual comparison of the Switch 2 Edition next to the existing Switch release, but also shows other improvements such as game’s loading times.
Discovering a new game to get lost in for hours can be a phenomenal experience. But sometimes, you need a quick hit — a game you can pick up and play just for a bit and still have a great time. The PlayStation Plus Catalog and Classics Catalog are filled with games that fit that description exactly, offering experiences that you can dip into for a few minutes and have a blast. PlayStation Portal owners, these are great picks for you to cozy up with.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of 9 excellent quick-hit games from the PS Plus Catalog — although they can definitely keep you engrossed for a lot longer. Next time you’ve got a couple of minutes to spare, fire up one of these.
Blue Prince | 2025 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog
The brilliant idea at the heart of Blue Prince is the combination of first-person puzzler gameplay with roguelike elements. Each time you venture into the mystery-filled Mt. Holly Manor, you’ll chart a new course through the house: Whenever you open a door, you choose the room that appears on the other side. While Blue Prince’s deeper enigmas will keep you obsessed for hours, even a quick run through Mt. Holly will give you a chance to solve a few puzzles and compile a few clues to take in next time.
Publisher: Raw Fury | Developer: Dogubomb | PS5
Cult of the Lamb | 2022 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog
Cult of the Lamb is part roguelike action game, part base manager, and both sides can be satisfying in long or short bursts. Each foray into its shifting dungeons gives you a chance to earn things to enhance your abilities, improve the buildings, and recruit more followers. Whether you want to spend some time making your followers happy or just lean into dungeon-crawling combat, there’s always something quick and interesting to do to grow your cult.
Publisher: Devolver Digital | Developer: Massive Monster | PS5, PS4
Earth Defense Force 5 | 2017 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog
Giant insect-like monsters and alien spacecraft are invading, and it’s up to you to stop them. You have a host of weapons to face down hordes of creepy-crawlies, as well as four character classes with different styles of play. Earth Defense Force 5 offers more than 100 missions, but while each will challenge your third-person combat abilities, they’re all fast enough that it only takes a few minutes to enjoy a few rounds fighting off invading extra-terrestrials.
I.Q.: Intelligent Qube | 1997 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog
Speedy movements and quick thinking are essential in puzzler I.Q.: Intelligent Qube. In each level, your goal is to clear a series of cubes as they roll toward you by marking spots on the grid beneath your feet. Clearing certain cubes allows you to release blasts that can knock out several cubes at once, but it takes careful planning of where and when to place and use those advantages to fully clear each level. I.Q. is a great way to exercise your mind with a few fast brain teasers.
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: G-Artists | PS5, PS4
LocoRoco Remastered | 2006 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog
Navigating the colorful world of LocoRoco Remastered isn’t about controlling a character, but about tilting the landscape beneath your round, jelly-like LocoRoco to roll them where you need them to go. Making your way over obstacles or through passageways requires combining many LocoRoco together into one massive being, or breaking them back into several smaller ones. LocoRoco Remastered is a perfect way to unwind with a breezy, lighthearted experience and short, inventive levels that require some out-of-the-box thinking.
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: Japan Studio | PS5, PS4
The Pedestrian | 2021 | PlayStation Plus Games Catalog
The Pedestrian is a puzzle-platformer that has you playing as a stick figure like those often seen on road and bathroom signs, navigating from sign to sign on your way through the world. The fascinating presentation offers a lot of clever puzzles, many of which require you to rearrange signs to connect ladders and doors to create paths from one to another. Though the levels are short and sweet, they’ll test your puzzling smarts.
Publisher: Skookum Arts LLC | Developer: Skookum Arts LLC | PS5, PS4
Tekken 3 | 1997 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog
Tekken 3 lets you relive the glory days of 3D fighters on the original PlayStation. Though the storied series has gone on to five more mainline installments, Tekken 3 will still put you through your fighting game paces. Movement in three dimensions is key as you fight one-on-one duels against an iconic roster of punishing opponents, but with matches that can be brutal beatdowns lasting just a few minutes, it’s easy to squeeze in a few rounds of Tekken 3 whenever you have a free moment.
Publisher: Namco | Developer: Namco | PS5, PS4
Tetris Effect: Connected | 2023 | PlayStation Plus Games Catalog
Few gaming experiences are as zen-like as Tetris Effect: Connected. The latest version of the classic puzzler marries its block-dropping, line-clearing gameplay with immersive visuals and an excellent soundtrack to create something that can be mesmerizing, as well as intensely challenging. Each of Tetris Effect’s levels lasts just long enough for you to get lost in a flow state of combining blocks to rack up high scores.
You Suck At Parking | 2022 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog
You Suck At Parking puts your driving and puzzle-solving skills to the test with top-down levels in which you need to get your tiny car into an equally small parking spot — often by jumping gaps, whipping through hairpin turns, and avoiding crashes in each short, quirky level. But even if you should fly off a cliff or smash into a wall, you can quickly start again for another try.
Publisher: Curve Digital | Developer: Happy Volcano | PS5, PS4
Honorable mentions
The PlayStation Plus Games Catalog and Classic Catalog are chock full of excellent quick-hit games you can play alone or with friends, in genres ranging from sports to shooters, from racing to intense cooperative multiplayer madness. Don’t miss these favs:
Hot Shots Golf 2
Hotline Miami
Jet Moto
Overcooked! All You Can Eat
If you’ve got a few quick-hit go-to games that we haven’t mentioned, be sure to share your favorites and recommendations in the comments below.entioned, be sure to share your favorites and recommendations in the comments below.
My gaming life can now be cleanly split into two sections: the period before I had heard the phrase “Daddy Rank”, and the period after it.
It’s one of the key features of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties that Sega was kind enough to show me at a fancy gyoza-joint-turned-preview space in London this week, and in the days since, I haven’t stopped muttering it to myself whenever I do a small piece of housework.
Set to launch on February 12, 2026, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 bundles two titles into one: Yakuza Kiwami 3, a remake of the original Yakuza 3 released in 2009, and the all-new Dark Ties, which stars Yoshitaka Mine, Kiryu’s adversary.
I recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with the game at a press event, which covered various sections from both the remaster Yakuza Kiwami 3 and the all-new Dark Ties, a brand-new tale featuring Yoshitaka Mine from Yakuza 3. Read on for my initial thoughts and impressions.
At the same event, Sega announced a playable demo will be available for the title, more news of which will be shared in the future.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 hands-on
Yakuza Kiwami 3 follows Kazuma Kiryu as he settles in Okinawa to run the Morning Glory Orphanage, only to find himself entangled in a web of sinister conspiracy.
In the demo, I was embroiled in Kiryu’s clash with the Ryudo Family, an Okinawan yakuza syndicate scheming to seize the Morning Glory Orphanage’s land, where I faced off against the Ryudo patriarch Shigeru Nakahara and family captain Rikiya Shimabukuro.
A standout moment showed Rikiya — initially hostile towards Kiryu — shifting his perspective after watching him bravely risk everything alone to save the head of the local shopping district. This entirely new scene, missing from the original Yakuza 3, masterfully captures Rikiya’s growing respect for Kiryu through nuanced facial expressions.
Master weapons and enjoy the thrill of “Ryukyu Style” combat
City streets spark spontaneous fights where Kiryu can switch fluidly between his Dragon of Dojima: Kiwami Style and Ryukyu Style.
Ryukyu Style maps weapons to different buttons for easy, diverse attacks. Weapons switch automatically based on the button pressed, so even simple button mashing feels satisfying.
Players can expect a variety of Heat Actions, as well as the Dragon Boost, which activates by maxing out Kiryu’s gauge. The Dragon Finisher delivers a final devastating blow, complete with a backdrop of a roaring dragon.
Life at Morning Glory: deepening ties with the children
Life at Morning Glory is a side-adventure where Kiryu nurtures bonds with children at the orphanage through cooking, sewing, helping with homework, and heartfelt chats. Kiryu’s “Daddy Rank” increases as trust grows, reflecting his growth as a father figure. Earning enough trust unlocks each child’s unique Family Time Event.
I became quite emotionally invested while I was playing, especially when thinking it was all for the children. The interactions perfectly echo Kiryu’s challenges as a novice parent striving to do his best, and transform minigames from mundane tasks into heartfelt moments of caring for the kids.
Bad Boy Dragon: Join the small-time Haisai Girls gang and protect Okinawa
In the new team battle content, Bad Boy Dragon, Kiryu is unexpectedly appointed to head up a struggling Okinawan girls’ gang, Haisai Girls. Together, they stand up to protect Okinawa from the formidable Tokyo Night Terrors.
You can engage in either Total Annihilation, where up to 20 allies clash against over 100 enemies, or Turf Wars, where teams split up to capture and take down enemy bases.
Dark Ties hands-on: revealing an unexpected side of Mine’s cool facade
Dark Ties centers on Yoshitaka Mine, the chilling antagonist who stands in Kiryu’s path, and he stole the spotlight in the preview. Unlike the fiery, heartfelt Kiryu and Ichiban, Mine is cold and detached, dismissing even Daigo’s “family” talk as empty rhetoric. It is rare for the series to convey a character’s thoughts through raw inner monologues.
Fast-paced combat based on shoot boxing
Rooted in shoot boxing (a martial art originating in Japan), Mine delivers swift, stylish, agile attacks.
Filling the Shackled Heart gauge triggers Dark Awakening mode, swapping Mine’s refined shoot boxing style for raw brutality — head grabs, ground drags, and ferocious strikes — mirroring his duality of a cool exterior and inner darkness.
Kanda Damage Control: turning Kanda into a lovable charmer
In Kanda Damage Control, Mine tackles various missions like street rescues on behalf of Kanda, the Nishikiyama Family patriarch, and Tojo Clan lieutenant. Completing them will boost Kanda’s public perception and gradually transform him into a charismatic figure.
Leveling up Kanda’s Charisma Rank unlocks Drink Links, where you’ll deepen your bond with Kanda and witness his hopelessly goofy flaws. His candid rants made me envy how much he enjoys life to the fullest, and I can’t wait to see his dynamic with Mine evolve.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties launches on PS5 and PS4 on February 12.
If you’re really, really excited for Resident Evil Requiem next month, then you might want to keep an eye out for two limited edition watches from manufacturer Hamilton.
Launching alongside the game on 27th February 2026, the two models are featured in the game itself and are (conveniently) worn by both protagonists: Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kennedy. They also cost enough to make RE4’s merchant break out in a cold sweat.
