Amazon Games has announced a new MMO based on the Lord of the Rings franchise, having entered into an agreement with Middle-earth Enterprises for use of the franchise. This new game Lord of the Rings is still in the early stages of development, but will come to PC and consoles in the future.
The game is under the responsibility of Amazon Games Orange County, which has previously developed the MMO New World. The story will be in Middle Earth and will feature the stories of the complete trilogy of the Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King - in addition to The Hobbit.
Amazon Games Vice President Christoph Hartmann commented:
We are committed to bringing gamers high quality games, whether through original or long-running IPs like The Lord of the Rings. Bringing players a new vision of The Lord of the Rings has been an aspiration for our team, and we are honored and grateful that Middle-earth Enterprises is entrusting us with this iconic world. We are also pleased to be expanding our relationship with Embracer Group following our Tomb Raider deal last year, as they have proven to be excellent collaborators.
Embracer Group acquired Middle-earth Enterprises, that is, she now owns the rights to The Lord of the Rings franchise. This is not their first collaboration with Amazon Games, having also reached an agreement for the development of the next title in the Tomb Raider franchise.
Lee Guinchard, the CEO of Embracer, commented on the announcement:
The world of Middle-earth remains endlessly fertile ground for creators, and Amazon Games is passionate about building engaging, immersive worlds and publishing games for a global audience. We have a clear ambition to create the highest quality entertainment products for this IP, whether we utilize in-house resources or team up with best-in-class partners that complement our capabilities. We are taking great care to deliver an MMO that will do justice to the expansive universe of Middle-earth and delight players around the world.
The Lord of the Rings MMO does not yet have an official title or release date, but it is planned to come to PC and consoles in the future.
