We’re now halfway through 2024 and over the last three months, our teams have been busy unveiling new titles, publishing deals, launch dates, a new studio, and new content for our existing games.
New World: Aeternum will bring the New World adventure to consoles along with new updates and content across console and PC. We signed a new publishing agreement with Maverick Games to publish its upcoming open-world, narrative-led driving game. We unveiled another Amazon Games development studio in Bucharest. And finally, we announced the launch date for THRONE AND LIBERTY, along with a new trailer and details for its upcoming open beta.
Read on for all the details about the above and much more!
New World: Aeternum: A Comprehensive Refresh of New World Coming to Consoles and PC
At Summer Game Fest in early June, Amazon Games unveiled an exciting new cross-platform development for New World. Coming this fall, New World: Aeternum is a comprehensive refresh of New World coming to consoles and PC. The definitive New World experience, it’s packed with brand-new content and features, shaped by years’ worth of player feedback. Console players will discover the delights and dangers of Aeternum for the first time, enjoying an enhanced experience that includes all the content from New World on PC, the full base game, and all past updates, including the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion, in addition to a wealth of new content.
New World: Aeternum introduces new features for players on all platforms, including New World’s first-ever large-scale player vs. player (PvP) zone, endgame solo trials, an upgraded leveling experience, new character archetypes, a revamped dialogue system, and more. Players will be able to experience Aeternum on their own or with other adventurers, through competitive and cooperative online cross-platform play. The game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Oct. 15, 2024. View the new trailer, which debuted during Summer Game Fest, and read a New World team interview that shares insights about what the new release will bring to existing PC players.
Summer Game Fest attendees got a chance to experience a hands-on preview of New World: Aeternum before it launches this fall. Plus, at IGN Live, millions of viewers, live and online, were treated to an interview with Game Director Scot Lane, Senior Producer Katy Kaszynski, and Narrative Director Rob Chestney, who gave the inside scoop on everything viewers may have missed in the newly released New World: Aeternum trailer. Check out the interview.
In addition to the exciting New World: Aeternum news, existing New World players got to tackle New World Season 5 – Season of the Guardian when it arrived in April. In this season, players survive the Winter Rune Forge, acquire new Artifacts, and experience the fully updated main story quest, in addition to new Mounts in Outpost Rush and native controller support.
As if that wasn’t enough, adventurers encounter corrupted rabbits roaming the wilds of Aeternum as the seasonal New World event Rabbit’s Revenge returned in the first half of June.
THRONE AND LIBERTY Open Beta, Launch Details, and Trailer Unveiled
Also at Summer Game Fest, Amazon Games turned the spotlight on THRONE AND LIBERTY, the eagerly anticipated and free-to-play MMORPG featuring massive-scale combat in a dynamic world, treating media to an early first look with hands-on demos. Soon after, Amazon Games and NCSOFT announced that THRONE AND LIBERTY will launch in North and South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. The game will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with cross-platform play enabled.
Additionally, Amazon Games will hold an open beta for THRONE AND LIBERTY from July 18 to July 23, available on all platforms and in all supported regions. Learn more about the open beta.
Amazon Games has also dropped a new trailer that provides the most comprehensive look yet into what players can expect when they finally enter the exciting world of Solisium.
Read more about what makes THRONE AND LIBERTY unique in this interview with the development teams at NCSOFT and Amazon Games.
The Lost Ark Adventure Continued with “Darkness Unleashed,” “Summer Heat,” and Roadmap Updates
It’s been another content-filled quarter for Lost Ark fans, with even more to look forward to over the coming months. For those who missed it, the Lost Ark team shared a comprehensive roadmap update in June that outlines new content arriving in July, September, and later this year in 2024. Players can expect new raids, new activities, adventures, and Tier 4, the next evolution of Lost Ark’s endgame. Check out the Lost Ark Team Update for full details!
With the “Darkness Unleashed” Update in April, players encountered the Thaemine Legion Raid, new Transcendence progression system, Veskal Guardian Raid, and much more.
May’s "Chaos Rising" Update debuted the Thaemine After Story, the challenging Trial Guardian Raid against Hanumatan, new tales in Music Box of Memories II, and Cruel Toy Castle Adventure Island.
Finally, the June “Summer Heat” Update launched the Heroes of Arkesia into the next chapter of Lost Ark on the volcanic land of South Kurzan. Thee new chapter also introduces the first Kazeros Raid, Chaos Assault Part II, Proving Grounds Season 5, Western Emote winners, and more.
Amazon Games Will Publish a New Narrative-Led, Open-World Driving Game
In May, Amazon Games announced a publishing agreement with Maverick Games to publish a new AAA multi-platform title. The unannounced game will be a narrative-led, open-world driving game for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Maverick Games features several of the core team members (pictured above) behind the critically acclaimed open-world racing game series Forza Horizon, including Mike Brown, the former creative director of the Forza Horizon franchise. Check out our interview with Brown for more insight into Maverick’s vision for its upcoming game.
Amazon Games Global Footprint Further Expands with New Development Studio in Europe
In May, Amazon Games announced the opening of a new game development studio in Europe, based in Bucharest, Romania. The studio expands Amazon’s commitment to developing and publishing games as it joins the ranks of the existing development teams in Orange County, Montreal, San Diego, and Seattle. The new studio will focus on supporting Amazon Games’ diverse portfolio of games now and in the future and is actively hiring to build out the talented team.
Amazon Games has hired industry veteran Cristian Pana (pictured above) to lead the studio. Cristian brings more than 20 years of experience building video games, most recently serving as the Managing Director at Ubisoft Bucharest, leading teams behind blockbuster titles such as Tom Clancy’s The Division, The Crew, Far Cry, and Avatar. Check out a recent interview with Cristian to learn more about the new studio and his approach to game development.
Prime Video Announces New Series Based on Iconic Tomb Raider Franchise
Prime Video revealed it has ordered a new series based on the iconic Tomb Raider video game franchise as part of a deal between Crystal Dynamics and Amazon MGM Studios. This news comes after Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Games previously announced a collaboration to develop and publish a new multiplatform Tomb Raider video game. The as-yet untitled game is a single-player, narrative-driven adventure that will add a new chapter to Lara Croft’s story in the Tomb Raider series.
Amazon Games Staffers Share Behind-the-Scenes Insights as “Meet the Makers” Video Series Continues
Our monthly video series “Meet the Makers” continues, with three new episodes introducing viewers to more of our talented Amazon Games team members.
In Episode 3 in April, Gwendolyn Stickney, a Producer on New World, shares details about what it’s like to be a video game producer, how she got the job, and what excites her most about her growing role within Amazon Games.
For Episode 4 in May, Kyle Bailey, Sound Designer for New World, discussed his approach to sound design, his favorite projects, and more.
Finally, in June, Episode 5 introduced viewers to Jen Klasing, Senior Quest Designer for New World, who shared how her team helps to bring together many of New World’s distinct elements into a cohesive experience for players.
Prime Members Enjoyed Even More Great Games and Gaming Benefits Through Prime Gaming
April, June, and July saw Prime Gaming bring a bevy of fantastic titles for Prime members to enjoy, such as Tomb Raider Game of the Year Edition, LEGO® STAR WARS™ III: The Clone Wars™, Black Desert, The Lullaby of Life, and much more.
In June, Amazon Luna expanded to Austria, the Netherlands, and Poland, which means that Prime members in those countries also gain free access to the monthly rotation of Luna titles offered via Prime Gaming! Over the past three months, those titles have included LEGO® Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, Metro Exodus, and Metronomicon, not to mention that Prime members have ongoing access to Fortnite, LEGO® Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival, and Trackmania wherever Luna is available.
Also in June, the Luna team shared more details about its collaboration with GOG to make it easier than ever for players to enjoy games from the GOG game store across the devices they already own. Luna+ subscribers and Amazon Prime members in Luna-supported countries can now purchase and play select games from the GOG store on any Luna-compatible device, including Fire TV, Fire Tablets, select Samsung and LG smart TVs, iOS and Android mobile devices, and desktop devices (PCs, MacBooks, Chromebooks). Players can also link their existing GOG and Luna accounts to play some of the GOG games they already own. Check out the associated Luna blog for full details!
Finally, to celebrate the lead-up to the upcoming Prime Day, Prime members can claim an exciting assortment of 15 fantastic games, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, STAR WARS™ Knights of the Old Republic™ II – The Sith Lords, and Hitman: Absolution. And that’s not all – we just announced three great games that Prime members can claim for 48 hours on Prime Day itself this July 16 and 17: Suicide Squad: Kills the Justice League, Chivalry 2, and Rise of the Tomb Raider.
That’s all from Amazon Games for now, but stay tuned for more details as we march toward the upcoming launches of New World: Aeternum and THRONE AND LIBERTY, along with other exciting updates.
