Several new Lord of the Rings games are in development, Embracer Group, the company that owns Middle-earth Enterprises, has confirmed. As part of Embracer's latest earnings call, the company said it is “actively testing and prototyping several new game concepts.”
Embracer said its efforts in this area include “exploring a wide range of immersive and authentic gameplay in the world of Middle-earth.”
The publisher went on to say that it would take an “honest and tactical approach” to creating these games with the aim of creating “authentic storytelling.”
“We believe engaging deeply and early with the community is critical to creating experiences that truly resonate,” Embracer said. “We’ve worked diligently with our own creative teams, other world-class creators, and our passionate fan base to lay the groundwork and strategically plan for the long term for [The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit]” . “
Prior to this, Embracer's Lord of the Rings boss Lee Guinchard had explained that he wanted a revival of the Lord of the Rings games.
Embracer is currently working with Amazon Games on a new MMO set in the Middle-earth universe. Another upcoming Lord of the Rings game is the casual game Tales of the Shire, which will be released later this year. As Guinchard said in the interview mentioned above, there are several other new Lord of the Rings games in the works that have yet to be announced.
There have been many iconic Lord of the Rings games over the years. In particular, some of the early spin-off games from the film were well-received, while the more recent Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War have also been well-received. On the less serious side, there are also the fondly remembered Lego Lord of the Rings and Lego The Hobbit titles. Check out the gallery below to see some of the best Lord of the Rings games of all time.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, released in 2023 to very negative reviews, is a less well-remembered game. After the game's release, developer Daedalic canceled the next Lord of the Rings game it was planning and announced that it would no longer make any games at all.
Beyond video games, Embracer is working with Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema on several upcoming films, including The Hunt for Gollum. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Peter Jackson's original Lord of the Rings series, is returning to direct the film.