diff --git a/Code/CryEngine/CryCommon/ISystem.h b/Code/CryEngine/CryCommon/ISystem.h
index 1a2ffc5a7c..c3b0b591dc 100644
--- a/Code/CryEngine/CryCommon/ISystem.h
+++ b/Code/CryEngine/CryCommon/ISystem.h
@@ -807,11 +807,6 @@ struct ISystem
     //   Updates only require components during loading
     virtual bool UpdateLoadtime() = 0;
 
-    // Summary:
-    //   Optimisation: do part of the update while waiting for occlusion queries to complete
-    virtual void DoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks() = 0;
-    virtual bool NeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks() = 0;
-
     // Summary:
     //   Retrieve the name of the user currently logged in to the computer.
     virtual const char* GetUserName() = 0;
diff --git a/Code/CryEngine/CryCommon/Mocks/ISystemMock.h b/Code/CryEngine/CryCommon/Mocks/ISystemMock.h
index 9c25748eca..551949d6c2 100644
--- a/Code/CryEngine/CryCommon/Mocks/ISystemMock.h
+++ b/Code/CryEngine/CryCommon/Mocks/ISystemMock.h
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@ public:
         bool(int, int));
     MOCK_METHOD0(UpdateLoadtime,
         bool());
-    MOCK_METHOD0(DoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks,
-        void());
-    MOCK_METHOD0(NeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks,
-        bool());
     MOCK_METHOD0(RenderStatistics,
         void());
     MOCK_METHOD0(GetUserName,
diff --git a/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/System.cpp b/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/System.cpp
index 07160a7143..2d3faf2b68 100644
--- a/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/System.cpp
+++ b/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/System.cpp
@@ -352,8 +352,6 @@ CSystem::CSystem(SharedEnvironmentInstance* pSharedEnvironment)
         AZ::Debug::Trace::Instance().Init();
     }
 
-    m_bNeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks = false;
-
     m_eRuntimeState = ESYSTEM_EVENT_LEVEL_UNLOAD;
 
     m_bHasRenderedErrorMessage = false;
@@ -948,16 +946,12 @@ bool CSystem::UpdatePostTickBus(int updateFlags, int /*nPauseMode*/)
     }
 
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-    //update sound system part 2
-    if (!g_cvars.sys_deferAudioUpdateOptim && !m_bNoUpdate)
+    // Update sound system
+    if (!m_bNoUpdate)
     {
         FRAME_PROFILER("SysUpdate:UpdateAudioSystems", this, PROFILE_SYSTEM);
         UpdateAudioSystems();
     }
-    else
-    {
-        m_bNeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks = true;
-    }
 
     //Now update frame statistics
     CTimeValue cur_time = gEnv->pTimer->GetAsyncTime();
@@ -1004,15 +998,6 @@ bool CSystem::UpdateLoadtime()
     return !IsQuitting();
 }
 
-void CSystem::DoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks()
-{
-    if (g_cvars.sys_deferAudioUpdateOptim && !m_bNoUpdate)
-    {
-        UpdateAudioSystems();
-        m_bNeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks = false;
-    }
-}
-
 void CSystem::UpdateAudioSystems()
 {
     AZ_TRACE_METHOD();
diff --git a/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/System.h b/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/System.h
index 8c122d0df2..e5d7426415 100644
--- a/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/System.h
+++ b/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/System.h
@@ -225,8 +225,6 @@ struct SSystemCVars
 
     int sys_FilesystemCaseSensitivity;
 
-    int sys_deferAudioUpdateOptim;
-
     AZ::IO::ArchiveVars archiveVars;
 
 #if defined(WIN32)
@@ -305,8 +303,6 @@ public:
     virtual bool UpdatePreTickBus(int updateFlags = 0, int nPauseMode = 0);
     virtual bool UpdatePostTickBus(int updateFlags = 0, int nPauseMode = 0);
     virtual bool UpdateLoadtime();
-    virtual void DoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks();
-    virtual bool NeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks() { return m_bNeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks; }
 
     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // CrySystemRequestBus interface implementation
@@ -737,7 +733,6 @@ protected: // -------------------------------------------------------------
     typedef std::list<SErrorMessage> TErrorMessages;
     TErrorMessages m_ErrorMessages;
     bool m_bHasRenderedErrorMessage;
-    bool m_bNeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks;
 
     ESystemEvent m_eRuntimeState;
     bool m_bIsAsserting;
diff --git a/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/SystemInit.cpp b/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/SystemInit.cpp
index 4b07de6933..c2b8eb9861 100644
--- a/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/SystemInit.cpp
+++ b/Code/CryEngine/CrySystem/SystemInit.cpp
@@ -1823,11 +1823,6 @@ void CSystem::CreateSystemVars()
         "1 - CryPak preserves file name casing\n"
         "Default is 1");
 
-    REGISTER_CVAR2("sys_deferAudioUpdateOptim", &g_cvars.sys_deferAudioUpdateOptim, 1, VF_NULL,
-        "0 - disable optimisation\n"
-        "1 - enable optimisation\n"
-        "Default is 1");
-
     m_sysNoUpdate = REGISTER_INT("sys_noupdate", 0, VF_CHEAT,
             "Toggles updating of system with sys_script_debugger.\n"
             "Usage: sys_noupdate [0/1]\n"
diff --git a/Code/Sandbox/Editor/CryEdit.cpp b/Code/Sandbox/Editor/CryEdit.cpp
index 0c859e7996..cff4ea8e4f 100644
--- a/Code/Sandbox/Editor/CryEdit.cpp
+++ b/Code/Sandbox/Editor/CryEdit.cpp
@@ -2336,12 +2336,6 @@ int CCryEditApp::IdleProcessing(bool bBackgroundUpdate)
 
             GetIEditor()->Notify(eNotify_OnIdleUpdate);
 
-            IEditor* pEditor = GetIEditor();
-            if (!pEditor->GetGameEngine()->IsLevelLoaded() && pEditor->GetSystem()->NeedDoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks())
-            {
-                pEditor->GetSystem()->DoWorkDuringOcclusionChecks();
-            }
-
             // Since the rendering is done based on the eNotify_OnIdleUpdate, we should trigger a TickSystem as well.
             // To ensure that there's a system tick for every render done in Idle
             AZ::ComponentApplication* componentApplication = nullptr;