Amazon Game Studios officially announced that it is transferring publishing rights for the Western versions of Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty back to the developers. Smilegate will take over Lost Ark in early 2027, and NC (through its subsidiary FirstSpark Games) will take over Throne and Liberty as early as Q4 2026. Players will retain their progress, characters, and purchases; the migration will be automatic. This decision is part of Amazon’s systematic exit from the MMO segment: New World will close on January 31, 2027, and development of a Lord of the Rings game was canceled back in the spring.
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Publishing rights for Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty will transfer to the developers
On August 12, 2026, Amazon Games confirmed that it would cease operational management of two major online RPGs in Western markets. Lost Ark, which was previously published by Amazon outside of Asia, will come under the full control of Smilegate, the Korean studio that created the game and was previously responsible for its development in Asia, beginning in early 2027. Throne and Liberty, another South Korean project, will return to NC (publisher and developer) in the fourth quarter of 2026; in the West, management will transfer to FirstSpark Games, a subsidiary of NC.
The transfer does not mean the closure of the games. Both will remain available on all current platforms (Steam, PlayStation, Xbox), and Throne and Liberty will also be available on the PURPLE platform after the transition. Only the publisher, customer support, and in-game store operator will change; the servers and realms themselves will remain.
Account Transfer and Player Progress Preservation
The main concern for the audience is the safety of accounts and progress. Amazon and the developers have provided a detailed answer in their official FAQ. For Lost Ark, the following will be transferred automatically:
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all characters and their progress;
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inventory, items, and purchases (including cosmetics and premium currency);
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game wallet balance;
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names of equipment, gems, skills, and ships;
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fortress slot names;
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map and battle notes;
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chat macros and NPC renaming;
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achievement and stats data.
However, there is an exception that is important to know in advance: in-game mail (incoming emails with rewards, notifications, and other information) is not transferred—neither headers nor body text. Anything in your mailbox must be retrieved before the transfer, otherwise it will be lost.
For Throne and Liberty, the conditions are similar: characters, progress, purchases, and in-game settings are preserved. However, after the transfer, all players will be required to accept the new Terms of Service from NC and FirstSpark Games. Additionally, starting in October 2026, the Spanish localization will be removed from the Western version of Lost Ark, leaving the game in English only. This is a key detail for Spanish-speaking players who are currently using a localized client.
Step-by-step instructions for a successful profile migration
The good news: for most players, no manual intervention is required. Accounts and data will be migrated automatically. You don’t need to transfer your profile manually, create a new account, or reinstall the game. The client will simply update as usual, like a regular patch.
The only thing that may require your participation is the opt-out procedure, which means you opt out of the automatic transfer. If for some reason you don’t want your data transferred to the new publisher, you’ll need to submit an opt-out request. Amazon and the developers promise to announce details of this procedure later, but for now, the opt-out window will be open until the migration begins.
Also, as mentioned earlier, after the transition, the system will ask you to accept the new ToS. This is standard practice when changing operators—don’t skip this step, otherwise your access to the game may be limited.
And one more practical tip: if you play Lost Ark, open your in-game email and collect all reward emails while you still have time. They won’t be saved after the transition—this has been officially confirmed.
Publisher Change Schedule and Key Migration Dates
To avoid confusion, here’s a summary table of all the key events related to Amazon’s departure from MMOs:
Please note: the Lost Ark transition date is listed as “early 2027,” without a specific month. Stay tuned for official Smilegate announcements as they become available. Regarding Throne and Liberty, the Q4 2026 transition has already been confirmed, but the exact date and possible downtown location have not yet been announced.
Reasons for the closure of New World and Amazon Games’ departure from the MMORPG genre
The decision to hand over Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty is not an isolated incident. Amazon Games has been steadily scaling back its presence in the MMORPG genre over the past six months. New World, the only major MMO developed internally by Amazon, will be shut down on January 31, 2027—with no one to take it over, the company decided to shut down its servers. And in the spring of 2026, Amazon canceled an ambitious Lord of the Rings MMO project, which was in the early stages of development.
Thus, Amazon Games is effectively exiting the MMO business. The company has not officially announced a complete exit from the gaming industry, but at this point, its portfolio does not contain a single active multiplayer role-playing game for which it is responsible as a publisher or developer. Amazon may focus on other genres or new projects in the future, but for now, this is the most significant strategic shift in recent years.
Answers to the most common questions about server and crossplay preservation
The developers and Amazon have prepared answers to the most frequently asked questions. We’ve compiled the key information from official sources.
Will there be downtime during the transition?
There’s currently no official confirmation. Both Amazon and Smilegate/NC claim to be working to minimize the disruption, but haven’t specified a specific downtime period. Stay tuned for updates on the official websites.
Will regions and realms be preserved?
Yes. All game worlds, servers, and regional bindings will remain unchanged. No mergers or divisions are planned.
Will crossplay between platforms be preserved?
Yes, crossplay between Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox will be fully preserved. The mechanics will remain the same after the publisher change.
Do I need to reinstall the game?
No. You can simply wait for the automatic client update through your store (Steam, PlayStation Store, or Xbox Marketplace). An additional login option via PURPLE will be added later for Throne and Liberty, but the main client will remain the same.
What will happen to Steam and console accounts?
They remain yours. Changing publishers does not affect account linking—you will continue to log in using the same accounts.
Account preparation plan for operator change
We have prepared a simple checklist for those who want to prepare in advance.
For Lost Ark players:
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Collect all in-game email. This is the most important thing—the emails will not transfer. Open your inbox and collect all rewards, items, and currency.
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Make sure your contact information is up-to-date—in case confirmation is required when accepting the new ToS.
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Be prepared to accept the new Smilegate terms of service after the transition—they will appear in the client.
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Keep in mind that the Spanish localization will disappear in October 2026—if you play in Spanish, switch to English in advance.
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Decide whether you need to opt-out. If for some reason you don’t want to migrate your data to Smilegate, stay tuned for announcements regarding the opt-out procedure.
For Throne and Liberty players:
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No manual action is required—the migration is automatic.
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After the migration, accept the new ToS from NC / FirstSpark Games—this will be a mandatory requirement for logging in.
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Please note the launch of the PURPLE platform—this may expand your login options, but existing methods will remain.
General advice for everyone: keep an eye on the official game pages—playlostark.com and playthroneandliberty.com. They will update with details on deadlines, the opt-out procedure, and other details. While there’s no immediate action needed, it’s best to check your in-game email in Lost Ark now—it’s the only thing that truly requires your attention before 2027.
