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Amazon Game Studios Divests MMOs ‘Lost Ark,’ ‘Throne and Liberty’ in Strategy Shift
Amazon Game Studios is handing Western publishing and live-operation responsibilities for the MMOs “Lost Ark” and “Throne and Liberty” back to their original developers, Smilegate and NC respectively. The move reflects Amazon’s shift away from further investment in MMOs towards planned AAA games, including “Tomb Raider”, and expansion of its Luna cloud-gaming service.
Amazon says player accounts and existing balances will transfer automatically, though active subscriptions will be cancelled before the handover. “Throne and Liberty” transfers are due to begin later in 2026 and “Lost Ark” transfers in early 2027; some Lost Ark social and message data will not carry over, and temporary downtime is possible.
In short
- Amazon exits Western operations for two MMOs.
- Original developers will take over live services.
- Account transfers begin later this year.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Returning these games to their creators allows specialists with deep understanding of the original vision to guide them forward, whilst Amazon's shift towards cloud gaming and major franchises like Tomb Raider represents sensible strategic focus on areas where it can achieve competitive advantage rather than spreading capital thinly across mature MMOs in increasingly crowded markets.
The case against
Players who invested in these games under Amazon's responsibility now face service disruption and lost data, whilst the practice of serial divestment from live-service games undermines the trust communities require; companies acquiring publishing rights should maintain the stability players depend upon rather than treating gaming communities as disposable when quarterly priorities shift.
Explained simply
Massively multiplayer online games, or MMOs, are games designed for large numbers of people to play in a shared online world over time. Their publishers handle services such as updates, events and player support, while developers create the games and may also run them.
Amazon Game Studios has published “Lost Ark”, made by South Korean company Smilegate, and “Throne and Liberty”, made by South Korean company NC. Amazon is also developing other games, including a new “Tomb Raider” title, and operates Luna, a service for streaming games over the internet.
The handovers mean Smilegate and NC are set to take on the Western publishing and live-operation work for their games. Amazon says player accounts and existing balances will transfer, while active subscriptions will end before the change; some “Lost Ark” social and message data will not carry over, and temporary downtime is possible.
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