After bringing the Second Age of Middle-earth to life with its blockbuster series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Amazon has now announced that it has signed a deal with Embracer Group and Middle-earth Enterprises for Amazon Games to develop and publish a new massively multiplayer (MMO) game based upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Development on the new game is being fronted by Amazon Games Orange County, makes of the hit MMCO New World, and it will take place in a persistent world set in Middle-earth and featuring the stories of Tolkien’s classic The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It will be unrelated to The Rings of Power, which is currently shooting its second season ahead of a Prime Video premiere in 2024.
“We’re committed to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings,” said Christoph Hartmann, VP, Amazon Games. “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.”
“The world of Middle-earth continues to prove an endlessly fertile ground for creators, and Amazon Games has a passion for building immersive, compelling worlds and publishing games for a global audience”, said Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode. “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.”
