Amazon says it wants to win gaming, but won’t be the next Xbox
Amazon has invested heavily in the gaming industry for over a decade through various initiatives, yet the company’s overall gaming strategy remains unclear both publicly and internally. Since 2011, Amazon has founded Amazon Game Studios, acquired streaming platform Twitch in 2014, and launched multiple cloud-gaming services—Stadia (2018-2023), Luna (2022), with a full rebrand occurring in 2025. Despite these significant investments, the company has struggled to articulate a cohesive vision for its gaming division.
According to Jeff Gattis, General Manager of Amazon Games and a veteran from Xbox, the strategic confusion wasn’t limited to public perception but extended within Amazon itself until recently. The company has pursued blockbuster MMOs, recruited experienced developers, and secured licensing deals for major franchises including Tomb Raider. However, these efforts have not coalesced into a recognizable or consistent gaming strategy that explains how its various ventures—from cloud services to game development to streaming—fit together.