Amazon cancels project trident and lord of the rings mmo

May 14, 2026

Amazon Game Studios laid off thousands last October and canceled Project Trident along with its Lord of the Rings MMO after developers scrambled to incorporate generative AI.

The cancellations came as part of broader cuts that eliminated roughly 14,000 Amazon positions. Project Trident had shifted multiple times under corporate pressure to use generative AI, moving from a Shadow of the Colossus-style adventure to a Helldivers-like multiplayer game and finally a single-player title with AI-powered NPC interactions. Sources told Eurogamer the team was finalizing a demo when layoffs hit in October 2025.

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What people are saying

Discussions on X focus on Amazon canceling Project Trident after forcing AI integrations and the related Lord of the Rings MMO cancellation amid 2025 layoffs. Users criticize rushed AI pivots and express disappointment in Amazon's game development strategy. Skeptical posts question the effectiveness of AI mandates, while others note the broader industry shifts away from large projects.

Amazon Game Studios has shut down Project Trident and laid off the entire team in San Diego.

The game started as a team adventure like Shadow of the Colossus, with giant monster fights, grappling hooks, and flying mounts.

In mid-2024 Amazon told all teams to add AI tools as… pic.twitter.com/NraRqdOYg6

— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) May 14, 2026

Amazon Game Studios has cancelled its Lord of the Rings MMO.

Announced in May 2023 in partnership with Embracer, the project was still in very early pre-production.

The decision follows Amazon’s major layoffs last October, which scaled back several first-party AAA and MMO.… pic.twitter.com/VLPYoIEL9c

— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) May 14, 2026

Amazon has reportedly cancelled its Lord of the Rings MMO, after recent mass layoffs

Former engineer Ashleigh Amrine confirmed that her entire team working on the game had been let go pic.twitter.com/MxH8jtR7YU

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) October 30, 2025

AMAZON REPORTEDLY PUSHED A GAME TEAM TO REBUILD A PROJECT AROUND AI, THEN LAID THEM OFF

Eurogamer reports $AMZN's Project Trident started as a co-op action game where players scaled giant Jotuns using grappling hooks and flying mounts.

Sources said the original version had… pic.twitter.com/uDtMDsCc9z

— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) May 14, 2026

Amazon Pressured One of Its Teams to Develop an AI Game, They Scrambled to Make It Work - Then Got Laid off Anywayhttps://t.co/Yk91qwY6GA#gamedev #videogames #pcgaming #gaming #genai #ai

— DreamStation.cc (@DreamStationcc) May 14, 2026

Sources

• https://kotaku.com/amazon-reportedly-forced-devs-to-make-a-genai-game-and-then-laid-them-off-when-it-wasnt-working-2000696078
• https://www.eurogamer.net/amazon-ai-game-project-trident-laid-off-anyway-report
• https://www.eurogamer.net/amazon-cancelled-lord-of-the-rings-mmo-new-game-experience