Smilegate will rescue Lost Ark's western servers, as Amazon ditches support while retreating from MMO development

Amazon Game Studios has decided to cease support for Lost Ark's Western game servers by 2027. However, the game's developer, Smilegate, is stepping in to manage these servers. As the sole developer for all global servers, Smilegate will now fully manage Lost Ark. Amazon's social media channels and website will no longer be operated, with no official confirmation on the exact transition date, which was only listed as early 2027 on the announcement blog.

No changes will occur to the player's character progression, unlocks, save data, wallet balance, or account details upon the handover. However, customer support and the terms of service agreement will change. The 12-month Crystalline Plus subscription has been removed from the in-game store, with a warning to avoid purchasing new long-term subscriptions.

Various in-game features like in-game mail, friends lists, guild names, and chat messages will be deleted. Spanish language support will also cease in the October 2026 update, leaving only English language support for the Western servers. The developer expressed gratitude to players for their support, wishing them an enjoyable continuation in Arkesia.

This marks the latest consequence of Amazon's retreat from MMO development, following the end-of-service announcement for New World in January and subsequent mass layoffs.