Amazon Games Leaves MMO Business as Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty Return to Developers

Amazon Is Ending Its Publishing Role for Two Major MMOs, Marking a Major Change in Its Gaming Strategy

Instead of shutting the games down, Amazon is handing responsibility back to the developers behind them. Throne and Liberty will transition to NC and FirstSpark Games in the fourth quarter of 2026, while Lost Ark will move back to Smilegate in early 2027.

The decision represents one of the biggest changes to Amazon's gaming strategy in recent years.

For players, however, the important news is that neither Lost Ark nor Throne and Liberty is being shut down because of the transition.

Both games are expected to continue operating under their new publishers.

Amazon Is Stepping Away From Two Major MMOs

Amazon Games became a major name in Western MMO publishing after launching Lost Ark in 2022 and Throne and Liberty in 2024.

The company handled publishing, live-service operations, customer support, localization and community management for the Western versions.

That arrangement is now coming to an end.

Amazon announced that it will transfer responsibility for both games back toward their original development companies.

The move is part of a broader reduction in Amazon's MMO ambitions.

What Happens to Throne and Liberty?

The first major transition involves Throne and Liberty.

Amazon's Western publishing and live-service responsibilities will move to NC and FirstSpark Games during Q4 2026.

FirstSpark Games is an NC studio involved with the development of Throne and Liberty.

The change means the game's original creators will have much more direct control over its global service.

For players, this could eventually result in closer coordination between the Korean and Western versions.

Throne and Liberty Accounts Will Continue

One of the biggest questions for players is whether their progress will disappear.

Current reports indicate that existing player accounts, characters, progression and inventory will remain intact during the transition.

That means players should not have to start the game again simply because Amazon is leaving the publishing arrangement.

The transition is primarily about who operates the service.

Cross-Platform Support Is Expected to Continue

Throne and Liberty is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The transition is not expected to remove the game's existing cross-platform support.

NC is also working toward bringing its global audience together through its own online infrastructure.

This could make the transition particularly important for the game's long-term global community.

What Happens to Lost Ark?

Lost Ark will follow a similar path, although its transition will happen later.

Amazon will end its Western live-service operations in early 2027, after which Smilegate will take responsibility for the game.

Smilegate is the original developer behind Lost Ark.

This means the company responsible for creating the game will eventually have direct control over its Western service.

Lost Ark Is Not Being Shut Down

The most important point for Lost Ark players is simple:

The game is not being cancelled.

Amazon is leaving the publishing role, but Smilegate is taking over the service.

The game will continue operating, with future content expected under the new management.

Players therefore do not need to treat the announcement as the end of Lost Ark.

Some Lost Ark Data Will Not Transfer

There is one important difference between the two transitions.

Although core player progress is expected to remain, some Lost Ark communication-related information will not transfer.

Reported examples include:

In-game mail
Chat history
Certain friends-list notes
Guild notes
Group names
Blacklist information
Some stronghold messages
Certain quiz data

Players should therefore review important information before the transition takes place.

Why Is Amazon Leaving the MMO Market?

Amazon has not simply abandoned gaming.

Instead, the company appears to be changing which parts of the gaming industry it wants to focus on.

Amazon previously reduced its investment in large-scale internal AAA development and has now taken another major step by transferring its two major externally developed MMOs back to their original studios.

This suggests that operating enormous long-term MMO services may no longer be a central part of Amazon's gaming strategy.

New World Shows the Bigger Picture

Amazon's MMO strategy has already faced a major setback with New World.

The company previously announced that New World: Aeternum would eventually shut down, with the service scheduled to end in January 2027.

Now Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty are moving away from Amazon.

That leaves Amazon's direct MMO involvement dramatically reduced.

Amazon Is Not Leaving Gaming Completely

It would be incorrect to say that Amazon is leaving gaming altogether.

The company continues to invest in other areas.

Amazon's current gaming interests include Luna cloud gaming, Prime Gaming and upcoming projects such as Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.

The company is therefore changing direction rather than abandoning the gaming industry.

Luna Could Become More Important

Cloud gaming could become a larger part of Amazon's future strategy.

Amazon Luna allows users to stream games instead of relying entirely on local gaming hardware.

This model gives Amazon a different way to participate in gaming without operating traditional MMO services.

The company can focus on its cloud infrastructure while publishers and developers handle game development and live-service operations.

What This Means for MMO Players

For players, the announcement has both positive and negative possibilities.

The positive side is that Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty are continuing.

Players will not suddenly lose access simply because Amazon is leaving.

At the same time, changing publishers can create uncertainty around:

Customer support
Content schedules
Events
Monetization
Regional policies
Server management
Community management

The next several months will therefore be important for both games.

Throne and Liberty Could Benefit From Direct NC Control

One potential advantage for Throne and Liberty is closer coordination with its original developer.

NC and FirstSpark Games already control the game's development.

Having more direct responsibility for global publishing could allow the company to make decisions without relying on an external Western publisher.

It could also make it easier to coordinate updates across regions.

Lost Ark Could Also Enter a New Era

Lost Ark has been operating in the West under Amazon for several years.

Smilegate taking over could create another opportunity for the MMO.

The developer will have greater control over the Western service, potentially allowing it to align the game more closely with its long-term vision.

However, players will need to wait and see how Smilegate handles content, monetization and communication after the transition.

Amazon's MMO Experiment Has Changed Dramatically

Amazon once appeared determined to establish itself as a major MMO publisher.

New World was developed internally.

Lost Ark was brought to Western markets through Amazon.

Throne and Liberty followed.

The company also announced other major projects and partnerships.

But several years later, Amazon's approach looks very different.

The company is now stepping away from two major MMO publishing partnerships and preparing for New World's shutdown.

What Players Should Do Now

Players do not need to stop playing either game.

Instead, they should keep an eye on official announcements from the developers.

Throne and Liberty Players

Watch for information about:

The Q4 2026 transition
Account migration
New support channels
NC's global service
Platform changes
Future content updates

Lost Ark Players

Watch for:

The early 2027 transition
Smilegate's service plans
Data that will not transfer
New customer-support information
Future update schedules

Will These Games Become Better After the Transition?

It is too early to say.

A change in publisher does not automatically guarantee better content.

However, having the original developers more directly involved in global publishing could create opportunities for faster communication and closer coordination.

The outcome will depend on how NC, FirstSpark and Smilegate manage their new responsibilities.

Why This Is Important for the Gaming Industry

The Amazon decision highlights a larger challenge facing the modern gaming industry.

MMOs require long-term investment.

They need regular content, server infrastructure, customer support, community management and constant balancing.

Operating a successful MMO for many years can be extremely expensive.

Amazon's decision shows that even major technology companies may reconsider whether the costs and risks of running large live-service games are worth the potential returns.

What Could Happen Next?

The next major milestone will be the Throne and Liberty transition in Q4 2026.

Lost Ark will follow in early 2027.

During this period, players should expect more information about account management, customer support and future content.

The most important thing is that both games are expected to remain playable.

Amazon Games' decision to hand Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark back to their original developers is one of the most significant MMO business stories of 2026.

Throne and Liberty will move to NC and FirstSpark Games in Q4 2026, while Lost Ark will return to Smilegate in early 2027.

For players, the transition does not mean that either game is shutting down.

Existing characters and core progression are expected to remain, although Lost Ark players should be aware that some communication and social data will not transfer.

For Amazon, however, the decision marks a clear change.

The company is stepping back from direct MMO operations and appears increasingly focused on other areas of gaming, including cloud gaming and upcoming projects.

The next year will show whether these MMOs perform better under the direct control of their original developers.