J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is getting a new massively multiplayer online title. Coming to PC and consoles in the future, it’s in early development at Amazon Games Orange County, developer of New World. Amazon Games has reached an agreement with Middle-earth Enterprises, which is owned by the Embracer Group, for the title.
Amazon Games vice president Christoph Hartmann stated, “We’re committed to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings.
“Bringing players a fresh take on The Lord of the Rings has long been an aspiration for our team, and we’re honored and grateful that Middle-earth Enterprises is entrusting us with this iconic world. We’re also pleased to be expanding our relationship with Embracer Group following our Tomb Raider deal last year, as they’ve proven to be excellent collaborators.”
Embracer Freemode CEO Lee Guinchard also said, “The world of Middle-earth continues to prove endlessly fertile ground for creators and Amazon Games has a passion for building immersive, compelling worlds and publishing games for a global audience.
“We have the clear ambition to create the highest-quality entertainment products for this IP, whether we utilize internal resources or team up with the best industry partners that complement our capabilities. We’re taking every care to deliver an MMO which will do justice to the expansive Middle-earth universe and delight players around the world.”
The MMO will take place in a persistent version of Middle-earth and features the stories of The Lord of the Rings trilogy – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King – and The Hobbit. Of course, this isn’t the only Lord of the Rings title in the works. Daedalic Entertainment’s The Lord of the Rings: Gollum arrives in May, while Free Range Games’ The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is out this Spring.
Electronic Arts’ The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth is also still in the works, and Private Division is working with Weta Workshop (which was heavily involved with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films) on an untitled game set in Middle-earth. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.