New ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ MMO Announced That “Will Do Justice To The Expansive Middle-earth Universe,” Amazon Games VP Describes It As “Fresh Take”
John F. Trent
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Embracer Group, the company that owns Middle-earth Enterprises, and many of the rights to The Lord of The Rings announced a new MMO in partnership with Amazon Games.
Stone Giant in The Lord of the Rings Online (2012), Warner Bros. Games Boston
In a press release, Embracer Group announced this new MMO “is in the early stages of production” and is being developed by Amazon Games Orange County studio and will be published by Amazon Games globally for PC and consoles.
The press release detailed, “An open-world MMO adventure, the upcoming game takes place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, featuring the beloved stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings literary trilogy.”
A dwarf is about to be ambushed by goblins in The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (2023), North Beach Games
Amazon Games Vice President Christoph Hartmann commented on the deal and the game saying, “We’re committed to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings.”
He added, “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.”
The Lonely Mountain in The Lord of the Rings Online (2012), Warner Bros. Games Boston
Lee Guinchard, the CEO of Freemode, who recently signed a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to create more The Lord of the Rings films, also commented on the new deal saying, “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.”
“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,” Guinchard added. “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 Lord of the Rings: Gollum (2023), Daedalic
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced the new The Lord of the Rings films during the company’s Q4 2022 Earnings Call back in February.
He said, “Today, I’m thrilled to announce that Mike [de Luca] and Pam [Abdy] signed a deal to make multiple Lord of the Rings movies. Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic storytelling franchises of all time. And we’re so excited.”
Orcs howl in The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (2023), North Beach Games
De Luca and Abdy would then issue a joint statement to Variety noting that New Line Cinema and Peter Jackson “took an unprecedented leap of faith to realize the incredible stories, characters and world of The Lord of the Rings on the big screen … but for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored.”
Guinchard also told the outlet, “Following our recent acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises, we’re thrilled to embark on this new collaborative journey with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, bringing the incomparable world of J.R.R. Tolkien back to the big screen in new and exciting ways.”
He added, “We understand how cherished these works are and working together with our partners at New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, we plan to honor the past, look to the future, and adhere to the strongest level of quality and production values.”
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition (2003), Warner Bros. Pictures
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