Amazon Games is winding down King of Meat

Engadget

by Sarah Fielding

February 24, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Amazon Games has announced the closure of *King of Meat*, a game that will shut down less than a year after its launch in October 2023. The decision comes despite the game's creative efforts and significant marketing, which included partnerships with MrBeast and custom-wrapped London buses. According to Amazon, *King of Meat* failed to attract the desired audience, with concurrent players peaking at just 320—far below the developer Glowmade’s target of 100,000. Glowmade, known for its ambitious vision, had high hopes for *King of Meat*, even developing a pilot for an animated TV show. However, challenges arose when voluntary redundancies were announced in December after initial assurances to staff. While players can receive refunds through their purchase platforms by April 9, the game’s abrupt end highlights the difficulties in scaling new IPs in the gaming market. Interestingly, Amazon’s history of shutting down popular games, such as *New World: Aeternum*, which had nearly 50,000 concurrent players on Steam before its closure, raises questions about their strategy. Despite financial investments

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Originally published on Engadget on 2/24/2026