Amazon to give live service operations of Lost Ark to Smilegate
Smilegate will also take over operations of Throne and Liberty in the West.
by Donovan Erskine · ShacknewsAmazon has announced its plans to end its live service support for MMOs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty in the West. However, those games will not be shutting down. Instead, Amazon will hand that responsibility to Smilegate, the games’ developer and original publisher.
Amazon announced the news in blog posts to the Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty websites, respectively. “We are excited about the future of Lost Ark and feel this is a positive outcome for the game's players,” the Lost Ark post reads. The change is set to take effect in early 2027 for Lost Ark. Throne and Liberty will make the change in Q4 of 2026.
Amazon has assured players that there won’t be any changes to their experience as part of this decision. Lost Ark came to western territories, including North America, in 2022. Throne and Liberty launched globally in 2024. Both MMOs were published and managed by Amazon in the West simultaneously.
Lost Ark made waves on Steam upon its western release, and has continued to be one of the popular ongoing MMOs. For more on the future of Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty, stick with Shacknews.
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