Amazon Games & Embracer Group to Release a New Open-World MMO Set in Middle-earth based on The Lord of the Rings

Amazon Games and Embracer Group’s Middle-earth Enterprises have teamed up to create a new massively multiplayer online (MMO) game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved literary trilogy The Lord of the Rings. The game will be an open-world MMO adventure, set in Middle-earth, and will feature stories from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The game is currently in its early stages of production, and Amazon Games Orange County, the developer behind the popular open-world MMO New World, is leading the development. Amazon Games will publish the game globally for PC and Consoles, with more details to come.

Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games, expressed the company’s commitment to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings. He also shared the company’s excitement about expanding its relationship with Embracer Group. Meanwhile, Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode, expressed their ambition to create the highest-quality entertainment products for this IP, utilizing either internal resources or teaming up with the best industry partners.

The upcoming The Lord of the Rings game follows the success of Amazon Games’ previous internally developed MMO, New World, and action RPG Lost Ark from Smilegate RPG. 

It’s worth noting that the as-yet-untitled The Lord of the Rings game is separate from the Amazon Studios-produced series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for Prime Video, which takes place during Tolkien’s Second Age of Middle-earth. The show is not connected in any way to the upcoming MMO game in development with Amazon Games.

Interestingly, with this new LOTR MMO game, Amazon is taking a second shot at creating a Lord of the Rings game. The initial plan was formed in 2019 when Amazon partnered with Leyou Technologies, a games company situated in Hong Kong, to create a game set in “a time long before the events of ‘The Lord of the Rings.” However, after Leyou was obtained by Tencent, a Chinese conglomerate, Amazon chose to withdraw from the project. Despite discussions between Amazon and Tencent, an agreement for the game’s future could not be reached.

With Amazon Games’ growing momentum in game publishing and development, gamers are eager to see what new and exciting projects will emerge from this collaboration with Embracer Group and the upcoming The Lord of the Rings MMO game. The prospect of being able to immerse oneself in the vast and beloved world of Middle-earth is certainly an enticing one for fans of the literary trilogy and gamers alike. 

We’ll have to wait for more details on the game’s development and release date, but it’s clear that Amazon Games is committed to bringing players the best possible gaming experience with this iconic IP.