Press release:
We’re excited to announce an all-new Amazon Games Studio based in San Diego and led by industry veteran John Smedley.

John’s pioneering work helped define the modern MMO, and his influence can be felt in thousands of games that followed. He helped create the blueprint for fusing massive game worlds with vibrant player communities, a vision that we share at Amazon Game Studios. That’s why we’re excited to announce that John has joined Amazon Games Studios to lead an all-new team in San Diego.

His team is already hard at work on an ambitious new project that taps into the power of the AWS Cloud and Twitch to connect players around the globe in a thrilling new game world. From the high-fantasy role playing of EverQuest, to the intense FPS action of Planetside, and the brutal survival sandbox of H1Z1, John is no stranger to bucking trends and creating unforgettable games. It’s early days, but we can’t wait to see what John and his team create, and share it with you.

And, oh yeah, we’re hiring! We have openings in our San Diego, Seattle, Orange County, and Austin locations. If you or someone you know is a killer artist, engineer, or designer and are interested in joining the team, check out our latest job postings here:
https://www.amazon.jobs/en/teams/amazon-game-studios

Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround

More by Jonas Ek:

• The violent 2D action-roguelike ‘Little Prince Tyger’, has just been announced for PC
• The JRPG-style idle combat game, ‘Duelist: Idle Expedition’, is out now via Steam
• ‘The Escapists 3’ is coming to PC and consoles in 2027
• The musical bullet-hell ‘Afterbeat’ v1.0 is out now via Steam
• The narrative-driven deck builder ‘Lazare’s Sacrifice’, is coming to PC next Spring (2027)

Tags: AGS, Amazon Games Studios, EverQuest, H1Z1, John Smedley, Planetside