● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact2 neutral
Amazon Exits MMO Publishing, Transfers Live Operations for Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty
Key points
- Amazon is transferring live operations for Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty.
- Smilegate will publish Lost Ark starting early 2027.
- NC (FirstSpark Games) will publish Throne and Liberty starting Q4 2026.
- This move signifies Amazon's full exit from MMO publishing.
- Amazon's New World: Aeternum will shut down on January 31, 2027.
Amazon Steps Back from MMOs
Amazon is ceasing its involvement with the live operations of its Western massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty. This decision follows an announcement last year to reduce work on first-party AAA games, particularly MMOs. The company will hand over publishing responsibilities for these titles to other entities.
New Publishers for Existing Titles
Lost Ark will be managed by Smilegate starting in early 2027. For Throne and Liberty, NC, through its subsidiary FirstSpark Games, will assume publishing duties in Q4 2026. Both games are expected to continue operating in Western markets under their new publishers.
Player Data Transfers
For Throne and Liberty, content such as characters and in-game currency are expected to transfer, though the status of items in the in-game Auction House is still being determined by NC. Lost Ark players will lose access to in-game mail and chat history during the transition.
Broader Strategy Shift
This move is part of a larger strategic shift for Amazon's gaming division. The company is now focusing on its Luna cloud gaming service, party games playable on TV with phones, and games tied to existing Amazon franchises like James Bond and Tomb Raider. This shift also saw Amazon's own MMO, New World: Aeternum, cease new content updates in October and become unavailable for purchase in January, with an official shutdown scheduled for January 31, 2027.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Amazon is transferring the publishing responsibilities for the MMOs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty to other companies, effectively exiting the MMO publishing business. This change means Smilegate will publish Lost Ark and NC will publish Throne and Liberty, allowing both games to continue operating in Western markets.
Amazon is transferring the live operations of its Western MMO titles, Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark, to other companies, marking its full exit from the MMO game development and publishing space. This shift follows a broader strategy to focus on cloud gaming, party games, and titles tied to existing Amazon franchises.