John Smedley, former president of Sony Online Entertainment and co-creator of EverQuest (opens in new tab), is stepping down as head of Amazon Games' San Diego studio, according to an email to staff obtained by Bloomberg ( opens in a new tab) states, "After much thought, I have decided it is time to try something new."

Smedley had been with Amazon Games since 2017 and had not shipped a game in six years. This is not unusual for Amazon Games, which has had a rocky road over the past decade, with cancelled games, repeated launches and cancellations like Crucible, and abandoned projects like the Lord of the Rings MMO.

Part of the company's early strategy, led by studio head Mike Frazzini, was to hire developers such as Kim Swift ("Portal"), Clint Hocking ("Far Cry 2"), and Smedley at large. All of these individuals, including Frazzini (open in new tab), have left Amazon Games. It's not that the publisher is in financial trouble - it's finally finding success in the last few years with "New World" and "Lost Ark" - but it's remarkable that so much talent has left and come and gone from Amazon Games without ever shipping a single game. Smedley had his moments (open in new tab), but EverQuest is definitely the foundation of MMOs and someone I would like to see more games from.

"John is a legend in the gaming industry and we are grateful for his contributions to Amazon Games over the past six years," Amazon told Bloomberg. The San Diego studio is "focused on bringing unannounced projects to fruition," and Smedley will remain for a transition period.

Amazon Games' latest news has an interesting aspect to it: it will be publishing and co-developing the next Tomb Raider game (opens in new tab). Given Amazon's success with "The Lost Ark" and its less than stellar track record with stand-alone projects, one can see why this hybrid approach seems like a more appealing strategy.