Key Lost Ark Developers Leave Amazon Games Amid Studio Restructuring
Published on: 3/23/2026
The global publishing team for Lost Ark is undergoing a major shakeup. Key members of Amazon Games, who have served as the public faces of the hit Korean MMO in the West, have officially announced their departure. The exits come just four months after mass layoffs hit Amazon Games, prompting the studio to issue a statement reassuring the community about the game's future.
High-Profile Departures
Two of the most visible members of the global Lost Ark team are leaving the company: Roxanne Sabo, the Community Manager who frequently co-hosted developer update videos, and Henry "Hardcore" Stelter, the game's Producer. Stelter described his time on the project as a rollercoaster with some high highs and low lows, while Sabo praised the community as her proudest achievement. Notably, Associate Franchise Lead Matthew Huston has not yet made a public statement regarding his status. These high-profile exits arrive just four months after Amazon Games suffered mass layoffs, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the game's Western publishing team.
Amazon Games' Response
In an uncredited statement posted to the global website, Amazon Games addressed the broader organizational decisions. The studio attempted to reassure the player base, pointing to a recent community survey that garnered over 11,000 responses as a guiding light for future development. They stressed that trust is earned through actions, not words, and pledged to keep working to improve the game with every update. Given that Smilegate remains the primary developer in South Korea, it remains to be seen how these publishing shifts will impact the cadence of future global content drops following the recent Ends of the Abyss update.
Summary
Following the departure of prominent Community Manager Roxanne Sabo and Producer Henry Stelter, Amazon Games has stated they are committed to moving Lost Ark forward globally. While Smilegate remains the primary developer of the MMO, these key exits from the Western publishing team raise questions about the future of global-specific content and communication as the game navigates a transitional period in 2026.
