In a significant shift in its gaming strategy, Amazon has announced that it will no longer be involved in the development and operation of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. This move marks a major departure from the company’s previous endeavors in the gaming industry.
Amazon’s decision to step back from MMOs was first hinted at last year, when the company stated that it would be halting a significant amount of its work on first-party AAA games, specifically those in the MMO genre. Now, the company has confirmed that it will be handing over live operations of two of its MMO games, Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark, to other companies.
New Operators for Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark
Throne and Liberty will be taken over by FirstSpark Games and NC in Q4 2026, while Lost Ark will be run by Smilegate starting in early 2027. This transition marks the end of Amazon’s involvement in the development and operation of these games.
Amazon’s exit from the MMO market also affects another game, New World: Aeternum. The game’s developers announced last year that they would no longer be providing new content updates, and as of January, the game is no longer available for purchase. It is scheduled to be taken offline on January 31st, 2027.
A New Focus for Amazon’s Gaming Efforts
Amazon’s current gaming strategy focuses on its Luna cloud gaming service, as well as the development of party games that can be played on a TV using a phone. The company is also working on games that tie into other franchises it is involved with, such as James Bond and Tomb Raider.
Amazon’s exit from the MMO market marks a significant shift in the company’s gaming strategy. As the company focuses on other areas of the gaming industry, it will be interesting to see how its new endeavors fare.
