Amazon is definitively closing its MMO chapter: As confirmed by the company and both development studios in coordinated announcements on August 12th, Amazon Games is entirely relinquishing its Western publishing responsibility for Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark.
Who's Taking Over and When
Throne and Liberty will be transferred to NC, or rather its subsidiary FirstSpark Games, which is set to directly take over live operations in the West. This transition is scheduled for Q4 2026. Lost Ark will return a little later: From early 2027, original developer Smilegate will once again take the reins. Both studios originally developed the games; Amazon had only been on board as a publisher since their respective Western launches.
What Changes for Players
As it stands, much is expected to remain unchanged for Throne and Liberty; NC intends to clarify individual detailed questions about the transition closer to the actual handover. Things get more specific for Lost Ark: Amazon is already confirming that certain data will not be transferred during the switch to Smilegate — including in-game mails, friend list notes, group names, as well as guild nicknames, member notes, and the complete chat history. Players who value such histories should back them up or make a note of them in good time before the migration takes place.
Third MMO Exit in a Row
This isn't an isolated incident for Amazon; it marks the third major withdrawal from the MMO segment. Following its self-developed New World, which continues with significantly reduced scope, the corporation is now also saying goodbye as the publisher of two of the biggest Korean MMOs in the West. From our perspective, this primarily shows how difficult Amazon Games has found the live-service business outside of New World — the masses of players that Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty attracted at launch apparently could not be sustained long-term. However, for the community, the return to the original studios doesn't necessarily mean something bad: Both NC and Smilegate know their games best and could respond more directly to community wishes in the future, without the detour through an external publisher.
Do you play Lost Ark or Throne and Liberty? Let us know if you view the switch back to the original studios positively!
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