Amazon Games has continued to cut back its position within the video game industry.
It was recently confirmed that they would be closing down the video game ‘King of Meat’ after the game had been on sale for only 6 months. Of course, it was also recently confirmed that Amazon would be closing down their MMO title, New World: Aeternum, in January 2027.
Now, a new report from The Game Business has confirmed that Amazon Games has walked away from a publishing agreement with UK developer Maverick Games.
Maverick Games was founded in 2022, with the core team consisting of developers who worked on the Forza Horizon series. Their publishing deal with Amazon was announced back in 2024, and the studio confirmed that they were currently developing a AAA, multi-platform, open-world racing title.
Christoph Hartmann, who was a key factor in that deal, also left his role as VP of Amazon Games. This was said to be a result of a shift of startegy from the company.
In a statement to The Game Business, Amazon Games confirmed that despite ending their partnership with Maverick Games, they will continue their publishing agreement with Crystal Dynamics for the Tomb Raider franchise.
They have also reaffirmed their commitment to Amazon Luna, its flagship cloud gaming service.
“As part of our strategic evolution to focus on projects that leverage Amazon’s unique strengths and scale, including the recent re-launch of Luna and our Tomb Raider franchise partnership with Crystal Dynamics, we have decided to release Maverick Games from their publishing agreement with Amazon Game Studios.
“We have tremendous respect for the Maverick Games team and the compelling narrative-led driving experience they’re creating. This decision allows Maverick Games the flexibility to find a publishing partner whose strategic priorities are better aligned with bringing their game to market. We’re proud of what we accomplished together during our partnership and wish them every success in the future.”
Thankfully, it seems that Maverick Games’ maiden title is still very much on track, as the studio is already in talks with new partners and promises more information later this year.
“We’re grateful to Amazon Games for their partnership and collaboration. Development of our debut title continues to progress as strongly as planned. We’re in active dialogue with partners who share our long-term ambition for the IP and look forward to sharing more later this year.”
Source – The Game Business
