Amazon Games is pivoting its strategy after struggles with large-scale gaming projects. The company announced it will concentrate on smaller, less ambitious endeavors following several high-profile setbacks.
Struggles with Big Projects
Amazon's game development faced hurdles since its major reveal at TwitchCon in 2016. Critical projects like Crucible and New World met with challenges. Crucible, although initially promising, was shut down in 2018 after an underwhelming alpha phase. New World has also ended active development, although its servers will remain operational until at least the end of 2026.
Efforts such as Twitch's storefront and the Luna cloud gaming service did not manage to rival Steam's strong market hold. According to former Prime Gaming VP Ethan Evans, the ambition to challenge Steam faltered due to unproven assumptions and overreliance on Amazon's scale and visibility.
Refocusing Efforts
Amazon is now shifting its approach, moving away from large productions. The company plans to focus on smaller projects, indicating a significant change in its gaming strategy. Evans highlighted the pitfalls of combining hubris with significant financial investment, a lesson learnt through these unsuccessful ventures.
