Amazon is moving to exit the MMO business, according to reports from The Verge and Engadget. The company will hand off Western operations for Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark to other publishers, with Engadget reporting that both games will continue to be available in Western markets after the transitions. The timing is now clearer. The Verge reports that Throne and Liberty will move in Q4 2026, while Lost Ark will be run by Smilegate starting in early 2027. Engadget reports the same schedule: NC is set to become publisher for Throne and Liberty in Q4 2026, and Smilegate is set to become publisher of Lost Ark in early 2027. There is one naming discrepancy in the reports. The Verge says Throne and Liberty will be taken over by “FirstSpark Games and NC.” Engadget says NC will publish the game and refers to the relevant NC subsidiary as “FireSpark Games.” The core account is otherwise aligned: NC is tied to the Throne and Liberty transition, Smilegate is tied to Lost Ark, and Amazon is stepping away from both titles in the West. For players, the handoff is not the same as a shutdown. Engadget reports that both MMOs will continue to be available in Western markets. It also says a Throne and Liberty blog post indicates important player content, including characters and in-game currency, should transfer, while NC is still determining whether items such as Auction House listings will move over. For Lost Ark, Engadget reports that players will lose access to some data, including in-game mail and chat history, according to a blog on the game’s website. The move follows Amazon’s broader pullback from first-party AAA game work, especially around massively multiplayer online games. The Verge notes that Amazon said last year it would halt “a significant amount” of its work on first-party AAA games, specifically around MMOs. Engadget dates that MMO pullback to October 2025, when Amazon announced plans to wind down New World: Aeternum. New World is getting a different ending. The Verge reports that its developers announced plans to stop offering new content updates, that the game has not been available to buy since January, and that it will go offline on January 31, 2027. Engadget also reports the January 31, 2027 shutdown and says Amazon confirmed in May 2026 that it had ended development on a separate Lord of the Rings MMO. Amazon’s games strategy is now pointed elsewhere. The Verge reports that the company is focusing more on Luna, party games playable on a TV with a phone, and games tied to franchises Amazon is working on, including James Bond and Tomb Raider. Engadget similarly reports that Amazon is emphasizing casual games for Luna, describing the streaming game subscription as one of the benefits of Amazon Prime, while also citing larger intellectual-property bets including 007 First Light and Tomb Raider Catalyst. Who benefits: Existing players benefit to the extent that both games are expected to remain available rather than follow New World into a full shutdown. NC and Smilegate are set to take on responsibility for Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark, respectively. Who's exposed: Players face transition risk around account data and in-game assets: Engadget reports uncertainty around some Throne and Liberty Auction House items and data losses for Lost Ark such as mail and chat history. Amazon’s MMO publishing footprint is also effectively winding down as these handoffs complete.