New Lord of the Rings Game Reportedly Rivals Hogwarts Legacy
▼ Summary
– A new Lord of the Rings third-person action game is in development and reportedly designed to compete with Hogwarts Legacy.
– The game is partially funded by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office with around $100 million, and a deal may be announced soon.
– Embracer, which owns the rights to Lord of the Rings games, and developer Revenge are involved, but both declined to comment on the rumors.
– Recent Lord of the Rings games have struggled, with Gollum having a troubled launch and Tales of the Shire receiving mixed reviews.
– Embracer is also working on a new Middle-earth MMO with Amazon Games and has previously announced plans for multiple new Lord of the Rings games.
A new video game set within the legendary world of The Lord of the Rings is reportedly in active development, with sources indicating it aims to rival the commercial and critical success of Hogwarts Legacy. According to a recent report, this unannounced third-person action title is being positioned as a major competitor in the fantasy gaming space.
Insider Gaming has learned from individuals with knowledge of the project that the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, or ADIO, is providing a substantial portion of the funding, contributing approximately $100 million USD to the endeavor. A formal announcement regarding this partnership is anticipated to be made public as early as next week.
The project is also said to involve Embracer Group, the current rights holder for games based on The Lord of the Rings and its wider universe. Joining them is the development studio known as Revenge. When approached for comment, official representatives from both Embracer and Revenge declined to address the rumors, maintaining a policy of not discussing speculation.
Specific gameplay details for this new Lord of the Rings title remain entirely under wraps. The report’s claim that it is designed to compete with Hogwarts Legacy is intriguing, given that the 2023 Harry Potter game became the best-selling game of the year in the United States, prompting Warner Bros. to fast-track a sequel. What this competitive ambition means for the game’s design and scope is currently unknown.
Recent years have presented a challenging landscape for games based on Tolkien’s work. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum launched to overwhelmingly negative reception in 2023, an event that led its developer to exit the games industry entirely. This year’s more peaceful Tales of the Shire also received a mixed critical response.
The emergence of a new game from Embracer is far from unexpected. Over a year ago, the company publicly confirmed it was prototyping several new titles set in Middle-earth. Lee Guinchard, who leads Embracer’s Lord of the Rings initiatives, has previously expressed his desire to spark a renaissance for Lord of the Rings games.
This mysterious new action game is not the only project in the pipeline. Embracer is concurrently collaborating with Amazon Games on a new massively multiplayer online (MMO) game set in the same beloved universe.
The history of The Lord of the Rings in gaming includes several standout titles. Early movie tie-in games were quite popular, and the more recent Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War from developer Monolith were also well-regarded before the studio’s closure. For a lighter take, the Lego The Lord of the Rings and Lego The Hobbit games remain fondly remembered by fans.
Beyond the realm of interactive entertainment, Embracer is also partnering with Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema on several upcoming films. One of the most anticipated is The Hunt for Gollum, which will see Andy Serkis, the original actor behind the character, return to the franchise, this time in the director’s chair.
(Source: Gamespot)
