adminImage credit: NC
Throne and Liberty is moving to a new publishing and service arrangement as Amazon Game Studios steps back from the MMO business. NC, the game’s developer, plans to take over global operations by Q4 2026. Separately, Smilegate will assume responsibility for Lost Ark’s live service in early 2027, while Amazon continues to operate that game until the transition is complete.
Throne and Liberty operations move to NC
Amazon Game Studios will transfer global publishing for Throne and Liberty to NC, formerly known as NCSoft. NC intends to bring the game under a single online service, with the migration targeted for completion by the fourth quarter of 2026.
FirstSpark Games, an NC subsidiary, is working with Amazon on the technical and operational handover. The companies say the transition is intended to preserve the existing gameplay environment and assets across platforms.
Player account details are expected to remain unchanged on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Purple, NC’s cross-platform gaming service. For players, this means the transition is focused on who operates and publishes the game rather than a planned change to their existing accounts. Keep an eye on in-game notices for any practical instructions as the migration date approaches.
NC said its closer involvement reflects its role as the game’s creator and its intention to guide the title’s future. FirstSpark Games CEO Moonyoung Choi also described the move as a natural next step, thanking Amazon for its work launching and maintaining the MMO.
Lost Ark service will transfer to Smilegate
In an update dated August 13, 2026, Amazon Game Studios confirmed that it had ended its publishing agreement with Smilegate for Lost Ark. Smilegate is due to take over live service operations in early 2027. Until then, Amazon will continue running the game.
The planned account transfer is automatic. According to the announcement, characters, progression, items, and account data will remain intact, and wallet balances will transfer in full. Players should follow official service announcements for the exact timing and any account-related guidance.
Amazon’s retreat from MMO development
Throne and Liberty launched in October 2024 and attracted more than three million players during its first week. Its publishing transition comes amid a broader reduction in Amazon’s MMO portfolio and its work on large-budget games.
In January, Amazon announced that New World: Aeternum would shut down. Development had paused the previous year after wider company layoffs, as Amazon reduced work on big-budget titles, particularly MMOs. The following month, the company said Glowmade’s online multiplayer dungeon crawler King of Meat would close after failing to reach the audience it had hoped to find.
Reports in May also said Amazon had cancelled its Lord of the Rings MMO, which was being developed with Embracer Group and Middle-earth Enterprises. Together, these changes mark a significant shift in Amazon’s involvement in the genre, even as existing games continue to move to new operators.
What players should know about the Throne and Liberty transition
- Target timing: NC aims to complete the Throne and Liberty migration by Q4 2026.
- Platforms: The service currently includes Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Purple.
- Account continuity: Player account details are expected to remain unchanged across platforms.
- Lost Ark: Amazon remains responsible for operations until Smilegate takes over in early 2027; account data and wallet balances are set to transfer automatically.
The Throne and Liberty handover places global operations with the game’s developer, while the Lost Ark transition returns live service responsibilities to Smilegate. Players can use the announced timelines and account-transfer details to understand what is changing and monitor official notices for further instructions.
