Image: Throne and Liberty / NC.
Amazon Games is handing Western operation of Throne and Liberty to its developer, NC, in the fourth quarter of 2026. The official announcement promises that characters, items and progression will carry over. For an MMO player, that is the first question answered. The second is harder: why is Amazon leaving this publisher's chair in the first place?
Neither company has given a deal-by-deal financial explanation. We cannot say that Throne and Liberty stopped making enough money, that NC bought its way out, or that one title caused the decision. The timing, however, fits a much bigger change in Amazon's MMO business.
One handoff would be a footnote. Two make a pattern.
On the same day it announced the Throne and Liberty transfer, Amazon said it would hand Western Lost Ark operations to Smilegate in early 2027. Those games have different developers and audiences, yet both are moving from Amazon back to their creators. Amazon's own New World is on a different path: New World: Aeternum is scheduled to close January 31, 2027. It has not closed yet.
Put together, those decisions look like a retreat from operating large Western MMOs. That is our reading of public actions, not an announced blanket exit from all games publishing. Running an MMO means years of support, moderation, platform coordination, payments, localization and community trust. A publisher might decide that effort no longer fits its priorities even if a game still has players. Equally, a developer might prefer a direct relationship with those players. The public announcements do not let us isolate which business argument settled this particular contract.
What happens to the game?
NC's transition portal targets a shared service across Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and PURPLE. Amazon says existing accounts, inventory and progression should transfer, while customer support, terms and service operations will change. The exact migration date and any downtime are still to come. Some larger updates could be timed around the handoff to protect account data; that is a caution, not a confirmed content delay.
There is a possible upside. The company making the combat, events and endgame would also be responsible for the Western service. One less organizational handoff could make decisions clearer. It could also put more on NC's plate just as Aion 2 approaches its October 5 global launch. Aion 2 is not evidence that Throne and Liberty is being sacrificed. It does mean NC will have two prominent online games competing for player attention and operational focus this autumn. The company has not said how it will divide those resources.
Our take
This looks less like an obituary for Throne and Liberty than the end of Amazon's role in its Western life. The same move with Lost Ark and the planned end of New World make Amazon's broader MMO pullback difficult to ignore. What we cannot prove is that Throne's own revenue failed to justify its publishing deal.
Players should judge NC by the boring but essential things first: a clean transfer, working support and a credible update calendar. Then comes the more interesting test. Can NC keep Throne and Liberty distinct and well supported while it also launches Aion 2? The answer will matter far more than the logo on the launcher.
Sources and reporting
- An Update on Throne and Liberty in the West — Amazon Games / Throne and Liberty. Published: August 12, 2026. Accessed: September 29, 2026. Supports: Q4 handoff, account continuity, changes to operations and possible timing of major updates.
- Service Transition Portal — NC. Published or updated: date not listed. Accessed: September 29, 2026. Supports: integrated service intent, platforms and Q4 transition target.
- An Update on Lost Ark in the West — Amazon Games / Lost Ark. Published: August 12, 2026. Accessed: September 29, 2026. Supports: planned early-2027 handoff to Smilegate.
- The Future of New World: What to Expect — Amazon Games / New World. Published: January 15, 2026. Accessed: September 29, 2026. Supports: planned January 31, 2027 closure; the game remains online at the time of writing.
- AION2 Official Global Teaser Site — NC. Published or updated: date not listed. Accessed: September 29, 2026. Supports: Aion 2's October 5 global launch.
About the author
Able, Chief Editor
Able has spent six years reviewing games and following the stories around them. He focuses on what changed, what is worth a player’s time, and the context that gets lost in the announcement cycle.
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