Amazon gets out of the MMO game, and this time there is no surprise relaunch waiting in the wings. The company confirmed it is handing its two remaining massive multiplayer titles, Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark, back to the studios that built them in the first place.
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The announcement caps a rough couple of years for Amazon’s gaming ambitions. What started as a bold bet on the MMO genre now ends with Amazon stepping out of the driver’s seat entirely.
The MMO Retreat Is Officially Complete
Amazon Games will stop running live operations for both titles, passing the keys to their original creators.
Throne and Liberty Heads Back to NC
Starting in the fourth quarter of 2026, Western publishing duties for Throne and Liberty shift to developer FirstSpark Games and its parent company, NC. Amazon says it is working closely with NC to keep the handover smooth for players.
Lost Ark Returns to Smilegate
Lost Ark follows a similar road. Smilegate, the studio that built the game, takes over publishing in early 2027. Both games stay online through the switch. Only the name behind the curtain changes.
New World Already Said Its Goodbye
This is not Amazon’s first MMO exit this year. The company stopped developing New World back in 2025, shifting its homegrown survival MMO into maintenance mode after a rocky run that included a major relaunch.
Servers for New World: Aeternum are set to go dark by the end of January 2027. Amazon promises at least six months’ notice before anything changes, which is corporate language for please do not riot in the forums.
Curious how other tech giants handle a strategy pivot in public? Our coverage of Meta’s new AI model launch digs into a similarly bold industry U-turn.
Why Amazon Gets Out of the MMO Game Now
Layoffs hit Amazon Games hard in 2026, part of a wider pullback from expensive, years-long game development. Building a modern MMO is basically a marathon with no finish line and a scoreboard nobody fully agrees on. Amazon apparently decided cloud gaming and AI-driven projects offer a faster payoff.
What Changes for Players
Not much, at least at launch. Both games keep receiving content updates through their transitions. Lost Ark players should note that some account data, including in-game mail and friend list memos, will not carry over once Smilegate takes control.
If you track how platforms manage account changes during ownership transitions, our recent look at Google Wallet’s new parental controls is a useful companion read.
The Bigger Picture
Amazon gets out of the MMO game at a moment when the genre is struggling industry-wide, with player counts sliding even for once-massive hits. The company is not abandoning gaming altogether. It is simply choosing where to spend its money, and MMOs no longer make that list.
For more on how major tech companies are reshuffling their hardware and gaming bets this year, see our report on the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE release date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Amazon getting out of the MMO game?
Amazon is stepping back from MMO development and live operations after layoffs and a broader shift away from expensive, long-term game projects, choosing instead to focus resources on cloud and AI-driven initiatives.
What happens to Lost Ark now that Amazon is leaving?
Lost Ark transitions from Amazon to original developer Smilegate in early 2027. The game stays online, though some account data will not transfer.
Is Throne and Liberty shutting down?
No. Throne and Liberty keeps running. Western publishing simply moves from Amazon to developer FirstSpark Games and its parent company, NC, starting in the fourth quarter of 2026.
When does New World: Aeternum shut down?
New World: Aeternum servers are scheduled to close by the end of January 2027, after Amazon stopped active development on the game in 2025.
Will players lose progress during the Lost Ark transition?
Character progress is expected to carry over, but some data such as in-game mail, friends list memos, and chat history will not transfer to Smilegate’s systems.
Who is taking over Throne and Liberty?
FirstSpark Games, the original developer, along with its parent company NC, takes over Western live operations.
Is Amazon leaving the gaming industry entirely?
No. Amazon continues to work on other gaming projects and platforms. It is specifically stepping away from operating and developing MMOs.
Did layoffs cause Amazon’s MMO exit?
Layoffs within Amazon Games in 2026 coincided with the company’s decision to pull back from big-budget MMO development, and both point to the same broader cost-cutting strategy.
What does Amazon gets out of the MMO game mean for the genre?
It signals that even a company with Amazon’s resources found the MMO business difficult to sustain, adding to wider concerns about player retention across the genre.
Can I still play New World before the shutdown?
Yes. New World: Aeternum remains playable until its scheduled server closure at the end of January 2027, with Amazon promising at least six months’ notice before major changes.
