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Amazon’s MMO run will be coming to end sooner than thought
Amazon Game Studios is ending its Western publishing operations for the MMOs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty. Smilegate will take over Lost Ark in early 2027, while FirstSpark Games/NCSoft will manage Throne and Liberty starting in Q4 2026. This marks a significant shift for Amazon's ambitions in the MMO publishing market, following the shutdown of New World and the cancellation of other projects.
Amazon to rescind its publisher role on Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty by early 2027
Amazon Game Studios will cease its publishing roles for the MMOs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty by early 2027, returning them to their respective developers, Smilegate and NC. This transition marks a shift for Amazon away from third-party MMO publishing as they focus on other ventures like Amazon Luna and first-party development.
Amazon are getting out of the MMO game, handing control of Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty to developers, but it won't all be smooth for players
Amazon Game Studios is exiting the global publishing of MMOs, handing over control of Lost Ark to Smilegate and Throne and Liberty to FireSpark Games. While Amazon will cease live service operations for Lost Ark in early 2027, some player data like chat history and friend memos will be lost. This transition aims to align global updates with Korean releases for Lost Ark and is expected to be less disruptive for Throne and Liberty. The move comes as Amazon shifts its focus away from external publishing and internal MMO development.
Amazon hands off Throne and Liberty to NC, seemingly ending its MMO era
Amazon Game Studios is handing over the reins of its MMORPG Throne and Liberty to developer FirstSpark Games and publisher NC, marking a potential end to Amazon's involvement in the MMO genre. The transition is expected to be seamless for players, with all progress and items remaining intact. This move follows the struggles of other Amazon-published MMOs like New World and Blue Protocol.
Amazon gives up on MMOs, hands Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty to the original devs instead of shutting them down like…
Amazon Game Studios is stepping away from live operations for the MMOs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty, handing control back to their original developers, Smilegate and FirstSpark Games/NC, respectively. This transition is set to occur in early 2027 for Lost Ark and Q4 2026 for Throne and Liberty, aiming for a smooth handover with minimal disruption to players on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
MMORPG Throne and Liberty transitions from Amazon Game Studios to NC (formerly NCSoft)
NC (formerly NCSoft) will take over global publishing duties for the MMORPG Throne and Liberty from Amazon Game Studios, aiming to consolidate it into a single online service by Q4 2026. FirstSpark Games, an NC subsidiary, is collaborating with Amazon on the transition, ensuring player accounts and assets remain unchanged across platforms like Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox. NC stated this move allows them to directly support the game and shape its future.
Amazon will cease publishing Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty, sending them back to Smilegate and NCsoft
Amazon Game Studios will cease publishing the MMORPGs Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty in the West. Operations for Lost Ark will transition back to Smilegate in early 2027, while Throne & Liberty will move to FirstSpark Games / NCsoft in Q4 2026. This change follows Amazon's earlier layoffs and scaling back of its community teams.
