A newThe Lord of the RingsMMORPG is currently being developed by the Amazon Games studio behindNew World. Amazon has officially confirmed that it’s partnering with Middle-earth Enterprises to create a new game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s belovedThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbitnovels. Details regarding the MMORPG remain in short supply, but Amazon does make clear that it will go to great efforts to be “respectful and authentic” toThe Lord of the Ringssource material.
There may be some initial confusion surrounding Amazon’sThe Lord of the Ringsannouncement. For one, Amazon has beenassociated with anotherThe Lord of the RingsMMOfor the past several years. That project, first announced in 2019, was canceled in April 2021 amid complications with developer Leyou when it was acquired by Tencent. The newThe Lord of the RingsMMO from Amazon also shouldn’t be confused withThe Lord of the Rings Online, which remains in active development nearly 16 years after launch.
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Amazon’s now-announcedThe Lord of the RingsMMORPG is an entirely new project. It’s being made internally by Amazon’s Orange County studio, whichlaunched its first projectNew Worldin 2021. Content in Amazon’sThe Lord of the RingsMMO will draw from bothThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy andThe Hobbitas it seeks to create a “vast, connected digital world” for players to experience Middle-earth.
One thing that Amazon Orange County wants to make clear is thatThe Lord of the RingsMMO will not be a “New World 2.0.” The development team will draw on its experiences inNew World, which remains in active development, to create a unique experience.The Lord of the RingsMMO will build on ideas and technology used inNew World, likeNew World’s massive multiplayer battles, but in a way more fitting to the world of Middle-earth and its epic fantasy themes.
WithNew Worldstill in active development, it’s unclear exactly when work began onThe Lord of the RingsMMO. Under the assumption that it was a recent move, that meansThe Lord of the Ringsproject is almost certainly years away from coming to fruition. Fans shouldn’t expect any further news for some time.
Any announcement of an MMO is certain to be received warmly by the overall gaming community, especially if it’s based on a world as popular asThe Lord of the Rings. However,New World’s reviews have been middling and Amazon’s otherMMOLost Arkis controversial for its microtransactionsand free-to-play systems. There are plenty of worries to go hand in hand with all the excitement. Fans will just have to see what Amazon creates.
The Lord of the RingsMMO is in development.
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