Amazon Exits MMO Publishing, Handing Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty Back to Developers
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Amazon is stepping away from MMO publishing, returning control of Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty to their respective developers with transitions slated for late 2026 and early 2027.
Amazon Game Studios is officially stepping away from the MMO space, transitioning publishing duties for Lost Ark back to Smilegate and Throne and Liberty to FirstSpark Games. As reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, Amazon is winding down its live service operations following the cancellation of several in-house projects. For players, this major shift brings a mix of operational turbulence, data cleanup, and long-term community benefits.
While core progression, inventories, and wallet balances will survive the handoff, the transition will wipe out chat history, in-game mail, friend list memos, and group names. Active subscriptions require careful management as well, since Amazon has halted long-term purchases and plans to cancel current subs before the changeover. Even with these headaches, the shift offers a silver lining for the community. Smilegate confirmed plans to eventually align the global release cadence with the Korean version, meaning Western players will no longer have to watch new raids and classes debut months in advance while dodging spoilers.
Handing these servers directly to the developers rather than shutting them down entirely is a massive win for game preservation, especially given the rising pressure from consumer advocacy groups to keep online titles alive. While Amazon found more external publishing success with these MMOs than with their own internal developments, stepping aside allows the actual creators to steer the ship. For dedicated players who have poured thousands of hours into these digital economies, seeing these worlds survive a corporate pivot is a relief.
Tags: MMO, PC Gaming, Lost Ark, Industry News
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun