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Amazon Game Studios — Company research | Choice 16 Choice score Out of 100

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On January 29, 2026, Variety reported Christoph Hartmann’s departure as Amazon shifted away from AAA PC and console development toward party games and third-party Luna titles. The report linked his exit to another round of layoffs, after thousands of Amazon employees, including gaming staff, were cut in October.

Against Labor & working conditions
Sources
https://variety.com/2026/gaming/news/amazon-game-studios-chief-christoph-hartmann-exits-1236645132/
Hartmann, the co-founder of Take-Two Interactive publisher 2K Games, leaves amid Amazon’s choice to pivot away from its AAA PC and console game development and focus on party games and third-party titles for its cloud gaming service, Luna.

A GamesIndustry.biz headline reported that Amazon laid off nearly 100 staff from its gaming divisions. The accompanying text said the redundancies came weeks after the company laid off more than 400 employees from Twitch. The evidence provides no date or further details about the gaming cuts.

Against Labor & working conditions
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Amazon lays off nearly 100 staffers from its gaming divisions

A 2021 account of a Bloomberg report relayed allegations that a “bro culture” at Amazon Game Studios meant women were often denied the same opportunities as men. Four female developers reportedly said their worst industry experiences of sexism were at Amazon. Accounts included being ignored or undermined and, in one case, a male executive allegedly impeding a woman’s career and hiring men into roles above her.

Against Workplace equity
Sources
https://www.ign.com/articles/amazon-game-studios-report-details-struggles-bro-culture-mismanagement-and-cancelled-projects
Another big issue with working at Amazon Game Studios is said to be linked to the "bro culture" that has been cultivated there, in which women were often not given the same opportunities as men. Beyond that, "four female game developers said that their worst experiences of sexism in the industry were at Amazon."

Amazon Games’ New World: Aeternum is scheduled to go offline on January 31, 2027. Development had paused in October of the previous year amid wider redundancies affecting 14,000 people. The development team said it was saddened to say goodbye and honored to have shared the game with its community.

Against Community investment
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/amazon-game-studios-ends-publishing-agreement-with-maverick-games
Amazon Games' MMO New World: Aeternum will also go offline on January 31, 2027. Development paused in October last year as part of wider redundancies that affected 14,000 people.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
"While we are saddened to say goodbye, we're honoured that we were able to share so much with the community," says development team

Reports said Guildford-based studio Glowmade was affected by layoffs, with about a dozen employees reportedly made redundant. The source does not provide a date or confirm the number.

Against Labor & working conditions
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Glowmade reportedly affected by layoffs

Amazon Games dropped guidelines that claimed rights over employees’ personal projects. The previous rules also required games to be made using company tools and distributed through Amazon’s store.

In favor Labor & working conditions
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Old rules also requested that games be made only using company tools, and distributed via the firm's store

Amazon said it would stop handling global publishing and live operations for the licensed titles Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark, transferring operations to NC and Smilegate. This followed its earlier shutdown of in-house games.

Against Corporate conduct
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
UPDATE: Firm will no longer handle global publishing and live ops for the licenced titles, following previous shutdown of in-house games

Amazon Game Studios confirmed layoffs during the week of E3 in June 2019; it did not disclose how many employees were affected. The company said it was reorganizing teams to prioritize New World, Crucible and new projects, and to align resources with evolving long-range priorities. One laid-off employee reportedly said staff had 60 days to find another Amazon role or receive severance.

Against Labor & working conditions
Sources
https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/amazon-game-studios-lays-off-employees-during-e3/
Amazon Game Studios laid off employees this week, the tech company confirmed on Friday. The layoffs come during the week of E3, the world’s biggest gaming conference. Amazon Game Studios, launched in 2012, makes games including New World, The Grand Tour Game and Crucible. It has studios in San Diego and Orange County, California, and at Amazon’s HQ in Seattle.

A 2021 account of a Bloomberg report described canceled projects, management problems and a reportedly troublesome in-house engine at Amazon Game Studios. Former and current employees said studio head Mike Frazzini disregarded experienced developers’ advice and understaffed projects. The account also said The Grand Tour Game was removed, Crucible shut down, and projects called Intensity and Nova were canceled.

Against Corporate conduct
Sources
https://www.ign.com/articles/amazon-game-studios-report-details-struggles-bro-culture-mismanagement-and-cancelled-projects
A new extensive report from Bloomberg has detailed some of the dysfunction and struggles at Amazon Game Studios, which included cancelled projects, a troublesome game engine, mismanagement, and a "bro culture" that allegedly does not give women the same opportunities as men.The report begins by discussing how Mike Frazzini was brought in to start Amazon Game Studios eight years ago without ever making a game. Since then, Frazzini and Amazon Game Studios have released only two games, and have seen multiple cancelled projects that were attempting to recreate the financial magic of games like Fortnite and League of Legends.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Following rocky launch, competitive free-to-play shooter will close its doors to new players
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Servers will shut down on November 9, just over five months after launch
https://www.ign.com/articles/amazon-game-studios-report-details-struggles-bro-culture-mismanagement-and-cancelled-projects
Furthermore, instead of using industry-leading game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity, the studio opted to license technology from Crytek to create a homemade engine known as Lumberyard.

An unnamed external commentator described the gutting of Amazon Games as tragic, but argued it had been a long time coming. The commentator said the company, like other technology giants, critically underestimated how difficult it is to succeed in the games market. The evidence gives no date or further details.

You decide Corporate conduct
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
The gutting of Amazon Games is tragic, but arguably a long time coming; like many tech giants, the company critically underestimated the complexity of succeeding in this market

Amazon Games said Lost Ark would offer more gender-class choices over time and that its marketing would focus less on female characters in revealing outfits. The report frames the changes as addressing concerns about the game’s gender representation.

In favor Workplace equity
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Game will roll out more gender classes choices over time and marketing will focus less on featuring female characters with revealing outfits

A 2021 report alleged that developers told Amazon Games deputy Patrick Gilmore that planned enemies resembled Indigenous people and could be considered racist; he reportedly expressed disbelief. It said Amazon later hired a tribal consultant who found the portrayal offensive, and that the imagery was removed.

Against Workplace equity
Sources
https://www.ign.com/articles/amazon-game-studios-report-details-struggles-bro-culture-mismanagement-and-cancelled-projects
The problem, however, was that the enemies players originally were going to face "looked a lot like indigenous people." When developers pointed out to Frazzini's deputy, Patrick Gilmore, that the setting and villains could be considered racist, he "expressed disbelief."

Amazon said it had committed to developing a Lord of the Rings game and was evaluating different concepts. The report noted that this followed news the previous month that its Lord of the Rings MMO had been cancelled; it did not specify the new project’s format or outcome.

Against Corporate conduct
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Amazon committed to developing Lord of the Rings game, is "evaluating different concepts"

A 2021 report said Amazon’s stock plan rewarded employees for tenure rather than a game’s critical or commercial performance. Three former employees said this led some staff to prioritize preserving their jobs over other concerns.

Against Labor & working conditions
Sources
https://www.ign.com/articles/amazon-game-studios-report-details-struggles-bro-culture-mismanagement-and-cancelled-projects
Amazon's game problems also extend to how they incentivize their employees. While most studios pay bonuses based on the critical and commercial response of a game, Amazon's stock plan only rewards employees for how long they have been at the company. This has led to some employees choosing to "prioritize job preservation over anything else, say three former employees."

Reports said Amazon gaming division head John Smedley would leave. The reports attributed his exit to the studio’s difficulties with game projects; no departure date or further details were provided.

Against Corporate conduct
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
New reports says that the studio head's exit was attributed to the studio's struggles with game projects

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy expressed support for the company’s struggling games division. The available evidence provides no further details about his statement or what support involved.

In favor Corporate conduct
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Andy Jassy expresses support for internet giant's struggling games division

Amazon Game Studios said King of Meat had not found the audience it hoped for and announced it would end investment in the game. The company said servers would close April 9, 2026, while existing content remained playable until then. A Polygon account said purchasers would receive full refunds; the supplied evidence does not specify refund terms.

You decide Corporate conduct
Sources
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/companies/amazongamestudios
Servers to go offline on April 9, 2026, following the game having not "found the audience it hoped for"
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/amazon-game-studios-ends-publishing-agreement-with-maverick-games
Earlier this week, Amazon shut down Glowmade's online multiplayer dungeon crawler King of Meat. Its servers will close on April 9, 2026.
https://www.polygon.com/king-of-meat-canceled-amazon-game-studios-refunds/
"Despite the creativity and innovation Glowmade brought to King of Meat, the game has unfortunately not found the audience we hoped for," Amazon Game Studios said in a statement on the King of Meat website. "As a result, we have made the difficult decision to conclude our investment in the game, and King of Meat's servers will close on April 9, 2026. Players will be able to access and play all existing content until then, so we encourage you to enjoy your remaining time in the game with your fellow Contenders."
About & ownership
Category
Electronic Entertainment
Website
amazongamestudios.com