Amazon Exits MMO Publishing: Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty Return to Original Developers

What Carries Over

For both games, the following data is preserved and transfers automatically — no player action required :

• Characters and character information
• Gameplay progression and levels
• Inventory, in-game items, and cosmetics
• Purchases, entitlements, and wallet balances
• Steam account linkage (no change to platform)

For Lost Ark specifically, the official FAQ states "no changes will be made to your Steam account, your characters, progression, inventory, purchases, entitlements, wallet balances, etc." — everything transfers as-is to Smilegate .

For Throne and Liberty, NC confirmed "all assets are preserved, including character information, gameplay progress, inventory, and purchased items" . Players on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation will see no changes to their current gameplay experience .

What Does NOT Carry Over

Some ephemeral social and local data is lost during the transition:

• Chat history, mail/messages, and guild memos will not transfer .
• Game settings, macros, and UI customizations may need to be reconfigured .
• Customer support providers and Terms of Service will change to the new publisher .

How This Fits Amazon's Broader Retreat

This announcement marks the complete end of Amazon's MMO publishing ambitions:

• In October 2025, Amazon announced it would wind down New World: Aeternum, its own internally developed MMO, with servers closing January 31, 2027 .
• By offloading both Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty — its two remaining externally published MMOs — Amazon is left with zero MMO titles in its portfolio.
• The company cited a "continued strategic evolution" and pivot away from MMOs toward other gaming initiatives, though it has not specified exactly what types of games it will focus on next . Notably, unlike New World which is being shut down entirely, Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty will continue operating under their original developers .