Amazon Exits MMO Business, Returns Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty to Developers

Amazon Game Studios is officially exiting the MMO publishing business, handing operational control of both Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty back to their respective developers. Smilegate, the South Korean studio behind Lost Ark, will take over management of the game's Western servers previously run by Amazon. Meanwhile, Throne and Liberty, the 2024 MMORPG developed by NCSoft, will transfer its global publishing duties back to NC (the company formerly known as NCSoft), with the full transition expected to be complete by early 2027.

The move marks the end of what has been a turbulent chapter for Amazon in the games industry. The company had positioned itself as a major player in the MMO space, serving as the Western publisher for both titles, but neither game managed to establish a dominant foothold in the competitive market. The handoffs are not expected to be entirely seamless for players, with some disruption anticipated during the transition period as server ownership and account infrastructure shift between parties. Still, the fact that both developers are stepping in to continue Western operations means neither game is shutting down outright.

Sources