Amazon fired key Lost Ark staff. What happens next? [Report]

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By Gaming News
20 March 2026 no comments

Nobody likes waking up to bad news about their favorite MMO—especially when the publisher has a known history of pulling the plug.

Amazon Game Studios just handed out another round of pink slips. This time, the casualties include some of the most visible faces behind Lost Ark in the West.


Key Takeaways: The Quick Answer

  • Amazon Game Studios laid off key Lost Ark staff, including Producer Henry Stelter and Community Manager Roxanne Sabo.
  • The MMO has dropped from a 1.3 million concurrent peak down to roughly 15,000 active players in 2026.
  • Fans are hoping developer Smilegate takes over western publishing rights following the shutdown of New World.

The Writing on the Wall for Western Servers

Losing community pillars hurts. Roxanne Sabo—better known to the player base as Roxx—and Producer Henry Stelter were recently let go after years of holding the western community together.

Stelter spent nine years at Amazon and shipped four games. Losing veteran leadership naturally makes a dedicated player base sweat.

Historically, Amazon’s track record with keeping live-service games afloat isn’t stellar. We all saw what happened to New World, which goes permanently dark in January 2027.

It makes perfect sense why the game’s subreddit is panicking. Lost Ark exploded with 1.3 million concurrent players at launch, but currently hovers around 15,000 daily players.

While those numbers are perfectly fine for an established MMO, they might not justify the operating costs for a mega-corporation pivoting its focus.


Will Smilegate Take the Reins?

According to recent official statements on the game’s website, Amazon claims they aren’t abandoning ship.

They just pushed the “Ends of the Abyss” update on March 11, bringing fresh quality-of-life tweaks, raid improvements, and story content.


But words are cheap in the gaming industry. The real question is what happens when the original five-year publishing contract potentially expires.

Smilegate owns the IP and continues to heavily support the game in South Korea. If Amazon decides the margins are too thin, the original developers could either self-publish or seek a new western partner.

For now, your characters and gold stashes are safe. Keep grinding those daily raids—but maybe keep one eye on the server announcements.

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A video game enthusiast ever since I first got my hands on a Game Boy. Over the years, I've played many different games across various genres, discovering hidden gems and niche titles along the way. I'm also passionate about technology, always up-to-date with the latest news and insight in the PC and Console market. Ready to share and bring you the latest news !

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