Amazon Games forced team to pivot Project Trident to AI, then laid them off anyway

Amazon Games Pressured Developers Into AI Integration

Amazon Game Studios introduced what developers describe as an "AI mandate" in mid-2024, fundamentally altering the trajectory of Project Trident and ultimately leading to its cancellation. According to multiple sources who spoke to Eurogamer under condition of anonymity, the team had been developing a Shadow of the Colossus-style action game that generated internal excitement 1

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. The original concept featured players toppling massive Jotuns using flying mounts and grappling hooks. However, the AI mandate arrived just before the team was set to pitch their game, with sources indicating an implied demand to incorporate generative AI or face shutdown 2

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Project Trident Underwent Multiple Transformations

The San Diego-based team, operating under studio head Andy Sites, faced an 18-month deadline to ship a game with AI integration. This compressed timeline forced a pivot to a Helldivers-like game with roguelite gameplay featuring drop-in, drop-out mechanics and AI-driven missions 2

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. One source noted, "We had some fun with it, but almost everyone kept wishing we didn't have to do this and were working on the Colossus version instead." Halfway through development, the deadline was lifted, prompting yet another transformation into a single-player game. The final iteration became a third-person action comedy set in a Viking-inspired world where players worked for a fictional parody company called Valhalla Ventures 1

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LLMs Powered Player-NPC Interaction and Combat Commands

Gameplay footage reviewed by Eurogamer revealed how Project Trident implemented AI game development. The game utilized Large Language Models to enable communication between players and NPCs, creating a responsive world where characters could understand and react to custom dialogue 1

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. During combat, players could command the character Thor to perform special attacks by speaking or typing commands, with the LLM recognizing these instructions. The AI integration extended to puzzle-solving, where players issued verbal or textual commands to NPCs to overcome environmental obstacles. Players could even attempt to convince captured enemies to join Valhalla Ventures through custom dialogue options 3

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Amazon Layoffs Eliminated 14,000 Jobs Despite Progress

In October 2025, Amazon Games laid off approximately 14,000 employees as part of a strategic shift away from internal triple-A development 3

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. The Project Trident team was eliminated despite being close to demonstrating a playable demo in the first half of 2026. The cancelled game joined other casualties including New World, which received an end-of-life announcement following its tenth season, and the Lord of the Rings MMO, which sources confirmed to Eurogamer has also been cancelled 1

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. Steve Boom, head of Amazon Games, wrote in an internal memo that the company would halt "a significant amount" of first-party AAA game development work, particularly around MMOs.

Corporate Response Contradicts Developer Accounts

Amazon gaming head Jeff Gattis responded to the report, stating: "AI was not the reason behind role reductions in Games. Those changes were the result of a strategic shift in our business and a refocus on the areas where Amazon can deliver the most value to players" 2

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. He added that Amazon believes AI should expand what's possible in games and that the company remains focused on using these technologies "thoughtfully and responsibly, always guided by the creativity and judgment of our teams." However, this statement contrasts sharply with developer accounts. One source told Eurogamer, "I think we did discover the best ways and the worst ways that [generative AI implementation] can happen," yet "[Amazon] laid off everyone that was an expert in the best and worst ways to implement AI in regards to game development" 2

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. The situation raises questions about how companies balance innovation mandates with developer autonomy and job security, particularly as the games industry continues to face widespread layoffs following pandemic-era growth.