Amazon's Gaming Division to Undergo Leadership Change as John Smedley Departs

Following a six-year tenure, John Smedley is set to leave his position at Amazon Games. According to a report by Bloomberg, Smedley's exit is attributed to the struggles faced by the game division. In an email to staff, as reviewed by Bloomberg, Smedley stated, "I've decided it's time for me to explore new opportunities." During this transition period, Andy Sites will assume the role of studio head at the San Diego office. Amazon Games has previously encountered difficulties, including the cancellation of its fantasy sports game Breakaway in 2018, the shutdown of the hero shooter Crucible in 2020, and the cancellation of a Lord of the Rings MMO in 2021. Furthermore, the launch of its MMORPG New World was delayed until 2021. After its launch, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy expressed optimism about the game's performance, stating that it had a strong start and that he believed gaming could become the company's largest entertainment category. Since then, Amazon Games has published Lost Ark, an MMORPG developed by Smilegate and Tripod Studios, which achieved 1.3 million concurrent players during its launch week in February 2022. The company has also recruited notable gaming industry talent, including Portal designer Kim Swift and Far Cry 2 director Clint Hocking, although neither remains with the firm. It was reported in 2021 that Amazon was investing nearly $500 million annually in its game division. More recently, in December 2022, Amazon announced that it would be publishing the next Tomb Raider game, developed by Crystal Dynamics.