Smilegate
Smilegate business and news from across the web.
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Lost Ark shares its roadmap for the next three months with new raids and new equipment
Lost Ark is transitioning from Amazon's service to Smilegate's operation in North America, with a new three-month roadmap focusing on new content. The update includes an 8-player raid in Belgardin with new bracer equipment in October, Kazeros Act 3: Extreme and a multi-boss event in November, and a new winter skin in December. The article notes the continued absence of finding the titular lost ark.
Lost Ark has begun its final Amazon merge down to just five total servers today
Lost Ark is undergoing a significant server consolidation, reducing its global player base to just five servers. This process, managed by Amazon before the game's publishing rights return to developer Smilegate, began today and could take up to 24 hours. Compensation will be provided to players after the merges are successfully completed.
Crossfire Developer Discusses Creative Vision and The Cover System in New Video
That's No Moon, the developer behind the upcoming game Crossfire, discusses their creative vision for the third-person shooter genre, aiming to challenge the status quo. The developers highlight their unique approach to the cover system and how Unreal Engine 5 has enabled them to implement new ideas. The article also touches upon the game's story-driven and character-focused positioning within the existing Crossfire IP.
MMO Week in Review: Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty are going home
Amazon has announced it will cease publishing duties for the MMORPGs Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty, returning them to their respective studios, Smilegate and NCsoft. The article also touches on updates and developments for other MMOs including EverQuest Legends, World of Warcraft, Ashes of Creation, and Star Wars The Old Republic.
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 Will Soon Be Out Of The MMO Business Entirely
Amazon Game Studios is exiting the massively multiplayer online (MMO) business entirely, handing over Western operations of "Throne and Liberty" and "Lost Ark" back to their original developers, NC and Smilegate, respectively. This move follows the earlier shutdown announcement for their own MMO, "New World," and the cancellation of a "Lord of the Rings" MMO. Amazon had previously published and operated these live-service titles in the West.
Amazon to give live service operations of Lost Ark to Smilegate
Amazon is transferring the live service operations for the MMORPGs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty in Western territories to Smilegate, the games' developer and original publisher. This change will take effect in early 2027 for Lost Ark and Q4 2026 for Throne and Liberty, with no expected impact on player experience. Smilegate will assume full responsibility for managing these titles in North America and other Western regions.
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 drops Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty
Amazon is ending its publishing deals for the MMOs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty in Western markets. NCSoft will take over publishing for Throne and Liberty near the end of 2026, while Smilegate will do the same for Lost Ark in early 2027. This move signifies the end of Amazon's significant ambitions in the MMO publishing space, following earlier shifts away from big-budget game 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.
Lost Ark’s The Bitter Cold update is live with a new extreme raid and a hat-wearing panda rickshaw
Lost Ark's "The Bitter Cold" update is now live, introducing the Kazeros Raid: Act 2 Extreme difficulty and new cosmetic items, including a panda-pulled rickshaw. Amazon Games is also handing over publishing duties back to Smilegate, as anticipated by players.
Amazon Ending Lost Ark Support but Smilegate Will Keep It Alive
Amazon is ceasing support for the MMORPG Lost Ark, which it had imported. However, the game's developer, Smilegate, will continue to maintain the game, ensuring its survival.
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.
Smilegate will rescue Lost Ark's western servers, as Amazon ditches support while retreating from MMO development
Amazon Game Studios will cease support for the Western servers of Lost Ark in early 2027, with original developer Smilegate taking over operations. This transition will see Smilegate manage all global servers for the action RPG. While most account data will transfer, in-game mail, friends lists, and chat history will be wiped, and Spanish language support will be removed in October 2026.
Report: Crossfire dev That's No Moon lays off 14 staff
That's No Moon, the developer of the upcoming game Crossfire, has reportedly laid off 14 employees. The news comes from multiple LinkedIn posts by affected staff members. The studio was founded in 2021 with a significant investment from publisher Smilegate.
Crossfire Developer Lays Off 14 Employees After High-Profile Reveal – Rumor
That's No Moon, the studio developing a new third-person shooter based on Smilegate's Crossfire IP, has reportedly laid off 14 employees. This news follows the game's recent trailer debut at Summer Game Fest. The studio has not officially confirmed the layoffs, which come amid a wave of similar workforce reductions at other gaming companies.
Lost Ark will merge 12 western servers down to five later this month
Amazon announced that Lost Ark will merge 12 western servers across North America East and Europe Central into five servers starting August 26. Players are advised to claim rewards, use card XP, and manage auction house items before the merge. Players with characters on both servers will have their rosters combined.
Don’t Miss Out! Smilegate Launches ‘HELENA,’ the New LORDNINE Server, Offering Unprecedented Rewards to Support Player Growth
Smilegate has launched a new server named 'Helena' for its MMORPG LORDNINE, developed by NX3GAMES. This new server offers a 50% EXP boost and introduces a new 'Scythe' weapon mastery. To celebrate the launch and the game's first anniversary, Smilegate is hosting events with rewards including up to 32,000 USDT and various Summon Tickets.
