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Smilegate will rescue Lost Ark’s western servers, as Amazon ditches support while retreating from MMO development
Amazon Game Studios will stop supporting Lost Ark’s western servers from early 2027, with original developer Smilegate taking over their operation. The move keeps the game running and places all global servers under Smilegate’s control, but it reflects Amazon’s wider withdrawal from MMO development following New World’s planned end of service and associated layoffs.
Players’ characters, progression, purchases and wallet balances are expected to transfer unchanged, although customer support and terms of service will move to Smilegate. Existing subscriptions will be cancelled, long-term subscriptions have been removed from sale, and several social and message features—including mail, friends lists and chat history—will be wiped; Spanish support will also end with the October 2026 update, leaving English as the western servers’ only language.
In short
- Smilegate will assume control of Lost Ark’s western servers in early 2027.
- Core account progress and purchases will transfer, but subscriptions and social data will not.
- Spanish support ends in October 2026.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Smilegate's takeover preserves Lost Ark rather than allowing complete server shutdown, which would eliminate the game and render all player investment worthless. Players retain their accumulated characters, progression, and purchases whilst consolidation under the original developer may improve consistency across regions and signal genuine long-term commitment to maintaining the game.
The case against
The transition significantly diminishes service quality by removing social features, language support, and subscription options without compensation. The irreversible deletion of chat history, friends lists and mail destroys years of player relationships and community, whilst Amazon's departure raises serious concerns about the reliability of long-term commitments to online services.
Explained simply
Lost Ark is a multiplayer online role-playing game in which players explore a fantasy world, take on quests and fight enemies alongside other players. It was developed by South Korean company Smilegate and launched in the West in 2022 with Amazon Games as its publisher and operator.
Amazon Games has supported the western version while Smilegate has continued to develop the game. The change in operator affects who runs the servers and handles player services, while the game itself remains under Smilegate’s development.
The handover matters to players because their characters, progress and purchases are tied to the service, and support arrangements affect how they manage their accounts. Lost Ark is also part of a wider shift at Amazon Games, which has been scaling back its work on online role-playing games.