Amazon Games is stepping back from two major MMO publishing deals in the West. Both Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty are returning to their Korean developers — Smilegate and NCSoft, respectively — ending Amazon’s role as the Western publisher for these titles.
Lost Ark launched in North America and Europe in February 2022, attracting huge numbers initially but then experiencing a steady decline. Right now, the game has around 4,733 concurrent players on Steam, a sharp drop from its peak of 1.3 million shortly after launch. Its Steam review score now sits at 67% positive from 105,002 reviews, indicating ongoing player frustration rather than just a temporary issue.
The community has been clear about where to place the blame. One Steam reviewer pointed out Amazon’s history with online games, saying, “Amazon shows once again that they have no idea what it means to MAINTAIN a server-dependent game. At least this time they are handing Lost Ark to another maintainer. Unfortunately for New World.” That last line hits hard — New World, Amazon’s own MMO, doesn’t have the same escape route.
Throne & Liberty was launched globally under Amazon’s publishing in late 2024 after NCSoft went through multiple development changes. The game never reached the cultural impact that Lost Ark had at its launch. NCSoft reclaiming publishing control suggests that the partnership didn’t meet expectations for either party. Amazon hasn’t shared details about the financial aspects or timelines for either transition.
Amazon’s MMO publishing dreams now look much smaller. The company invested heavily to position itself as a gateway for Korean MMOs in Western markets. This strategy initially created player spikes but couldn’t hold long-term engagement. With both titles going back to their original developers, Amazon’s live-service gaming lineup is shrinking rapidly — leaving New World as its most significant online game, which peaked at about 913,000 concurrent players in 2021 before dwindling to a fraction of that.
| Lost Ark Steam Reviews | 67% positive (105,002 total) |
| Current Concurrent Players | 4,733 |
| All-Time Steam Peak | ~1.3 million (February 2022) |
| Lost Ark Metacritic Score | 81 |
| Lost Ark Western Launch Date | February 11, 2022 |
The community response to this transition is largely negative toward Amazon rather than the games themselves. Players on Steam have pointed to poor server maintenance and a lack of understanding about live-service infrastructure as key issues. Many believe that Smilegate managing its own Western operations is a better outcome for Lost Ark’s remaining players — although confidence in a recovery is low given the significant drop in player counts since 2022.
What To Watch
- Transition timelines: Neither Smilegate nor NCSoft has announced when they will officially take over Western publishing operations. Server stability and account migration details will be the first real tests to see if the handover benefits players.
- Lost Ark player recovery: With Smilegate now in direct control, keep an eye on whether the developer rolls out content updates or regional events aimed specifically at Western audiences — something players feel Amazon didn’t prioritize.
- Amazon’s next move: With Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty no longer in the mix, Amazon Games’ live-service strategy now hinges on New World. Whether the company seeks new publishing partnerships or focuses solely on its own game development will shape its gaming division’s future through 2025 and beyond.
Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen is the Reviews and Guides Editor at Explosion.com. With a background in game design studies and 6 years of gaming journalism, Sarah brings technical insight to her reviews and creates comprehensive guides that help players get the most out of their games. She has reviewed over 200 titles across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms. Her current obsessions include FromSoftware titles and indie roguelikes.
