Amazon Games to close Glowmade’s King of Meat

Amazon Games has confirmed that its online multiplayer title King of Meat, developed by UK-based Glowmade, will cease operations on 9 April 2026, less than six months after its launch as an ambitious co-op dungeon crawler and party platformer. The move follows sustained low player engagement, with the title removed from digital storefronts and refunds being offered to all purchasers, marking a swift reversal from its high-profile debut and promotional push.

The closure announcement, issued jointly by Amazon Games and Glowmade, said the game “has unfortunately not found the audience we hoped for” and confirmed that servers will be switched off in April. Players retain access to existing content until that date, and fully refundable purchases will be processed via the relevant platform providers in the coming weeks.
King of Meat* was released in October 2025 on Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, blending hack-and-slash action with platforming through user-generated dungeons designed for up to four players. Critics offered mixed assessments of its chaotic cooperative play, while early expectations within its developer and publishing teams had been far more optimistic.

Industry data points to a stark shortfall in uptake. SteamDB records show the game’s peak concurrent player count reached only around 320, far below internal targets that reportedly aimed for 100,000 simultaneous users, even accounting for a free weekend trial that drew its largest audience figures.

The gap between forecast and reality translated into commercial strain for Glowmade, which emerged from a lineage of respected developers including former members of Lionhead Studios. Following the game’s launch, layoffs were confirmed at the Guildford-based studio as it recalibrated its staffing after the title’s underperformance.

Before its release, King of Meat had been positioned as a tentpole project for Amazon’s growing footprint in interactive entertainment. It was showcased at Gamescom in 2024 with a cinematic trailer and later promoted through partnership content involving high-profile creators and events aimed at bolstering visibility. Despite those efforts and early community engagement, sustained traction proved elusive.

Market observers have noted that the challenges faced by King of Meat reflect broader obstacles in the live-service gaming arena. Titles reliant on continuous online engagement often compete fiercely for attention, and even well-funded initiatives can struggle without a compelling hook or critical mass of players. Some contemporaries within the genre have endured, but patterns of short lifespans and closures are not uncommon.

Amazon itself is recalibrating its gaming strategy in light of shifting market dynamics. Alongside the shuttering of King of Meat, the company has flagged the upcoming closure of other titles, including the MMO New World: Aeternum slated to end service in January 2027. These moves coincide with previous announcements of workforce reductions and strategic realignments within Amazon’s broader interactive entertainment division.

For the community that did engage with King of Meat, the closure announcement has prompted a mix of disappointment and reflection. Players have discussed the game’s inventive elements, particularly its user-generated content and chaotic multiplayer scenarios, even as they acknowledged limitations in combat mechanics and retention appeal.

Glowmade’s future projects, and whether lessons from King of Meat will inform its next endeavours, remain a topic of interest among industry watchers. The studio’s capacity for creative worldbuilding and design had been recognised in advance of the game’s launch, but commercial performance has now driven a reassessment of how best to align that talent with market demand.