Amazon has announced that it’s partnering with Middle-Earth Enterprises, the company recently acquired by Embracer Group that holds a vast majority of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit IP, to produce a new MMO based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved world.
This isn’t the first Lord of the Rings MMO, and not even the first one that Amazon has attempted to make. Amazon famously cancelled a Lord of the Rings MMO that it was working on with Chinese video game company, Leyou, not long after Leyou was acquired by Tencent in 2020.
Now, Amazon Games is putting its Orange County team – the folks behind Amazon’s other MMO, New World – to work on a brand-new LOTR project. The game is still in the early stages of production, but it will reportedly be an adventure set in a persistent world within Middle-Earth, and will come to PC and consoles globally.
Amazon Games Orange County says that its Lord of the Rings project will be a different experience to New World, but one that leverages what the team has learned through making that game.
“When somebody is a fan of The Lord of the Rings and sits down and plays this game for the first time, they have to say, ‘This was crafted by a bunch of people who lived in this world just like I do in my head. They get it.” said Rich Lawrence, director of the Orange County studio.
“We’re committed to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings,” added 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 honoured 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.”
With the project still early, no release window or other information is available just yet. You can read more about Amazon Games Orange County’s work on New World and its ambitions for Lord of the Rings here.
