Amazon Game Studios announced today that their upcoming MMO, New World, is being delayed from its May release until August 25. The studio says that due to the coronavirus pandemic, employees are (rightfully) working from home, which has had an impact on New World's development.
"We know you are eagerly anticipating the launch of New World, and we’re excited to share it with you. However, the health and safety of our team is our first priority. We hope you understand our decision to protect our team during these uncertain times while we re-focus on a timeline that will ensure New World is the best possible game it can be," reads an update from the company.
New World is currently in alpha testing, which will continue as planned until the closed beta goes live in July. You can sign up for the beta now, either by pre-ordering the game or signing into your Amazon account, but your progress on both the alpha and beta will be wiped at release.
Amazon also gave a separate update on New World, detailing events called Invasions. Apparently, Invasions happen about every four days, tasking volunteers with defending territories against increasingly challenging waves of enemies. It doesn't sound like a successful defense earns you anything, but failing to protect the territory means provisions like crafting stations, gates, and turrets are torn down.
While we've come to a point where game delays are inevitable, we always have streaming services to keep us occupied. Here's our ultimate guide to streaming in the age of coronavirus.
