Amazon is planning to refocus its Luna cloud gaming service towards party games, in a bid to attract more Prime subscribers. Amazon Luna head Jeff Gattis announced in a blog post on Wednesday that a “completely redesigned and reimagined Amazon Luna” service will be relaunched later this year, introducing a Jackbox-like “GameNight” social category that allows Prime subscribers to play together with family and friends.
Like Jackbox, GameNight players can join games by scanning a QR code using their phone, which will then serve as the game controller. The feature will launch with more than 25 multiplayer titles, including Angry Birds, Draw & Guess, Exploding Kittens, and adaptations of board games such as Taboo, Ticket to Ride, and Clue. Amazon is also developing exclusive games for the GameNight feature, starting with Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg. This is a “human‑built, AI‑powered improv courtroom game,” according to Gattis, which requires players to defend themselves in court before Judge Snoop Dogg.
GameNight will be available to Prime subscribers at no additional cost, with additional games being added to the feature over time. Amazon hasn’t specified when this future Luna relaunch will roll out, but given we’re already in October, it should be sometime in the coming weeks.
Aside from gaining a new social gaming category, it’s difficult to tell how significant the upcoming Luna redesign will be. Gattis says that bringing Snoop Dogg to GameNight is “just the beginning,” and mentions vague plans around Amazon using AI to help reimagine cloud gaming. It’s unclear if these developments would be exclusive to Luna’s GameNight feature.
“With advances in AI and cloud technology, we see opportunities to create entirely new kinds of games – experiences that were never possible before,” said Gattis. “We have an incredible pipeline of games in the works and can’t wait for you to play and experience the all-new Luna for yourself later this year.”
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