Multiple new Lord of the Rings games are in the early stages of development, Embracer Group–the company that owns Middle-earth Enterprises–has confirmed. As part of Embracer’s latest earnings briefing, the company said it is “actively testing and prototyping multiple new game concepts.”
Embracer said its efforts in this area include “exploring a wide range of immersive and authentic gameplay within the Middle-earth world.”
The publisher went on to say it will take an “honest and tactical approach” to making these games with an aim of creating “authentic storytelling.”
“We believe that engaging deeply and early with the community is essential to creating experiences that truly resonate,” Embracer said. “We have been diligently working with our own creative teams, other world-class creators, and our passionate fanbase in laying the foundation and strategic long-term planning for [The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit].”
Before this, Embracer’s Lord of the Rings boss, Lee Guinchard, spoke about how he wants there to be a renaissance for Lord of the Rings games.
Embracer is working with Amazon Games currently on a new MMO in the Middle-earth universe. Another upcoming Lord of the Rings game is the cozy-looking Tales of the Shire, which releases later this year. As Guinchard said in the interview mentioned above, there are multiple 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 movie tie-ins were well-received, while the more recent Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War were enjoyable as well. On the less-serious side, there are also Lego Lord of the Rings and Lego The Hobbit titles that are fondly remembered. Check out the gallery below to see some of the best Lord of the Rings games ever.
One not-so-fondly-remembered Lord of the Rings game was The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, which came out in 2023 to very low review scores. Following the game’s release, developer Daedalic canceled the next Lord of the Rings game it had in the works and announced it would no longer make any games at all.
Beyond video games, Embracer is working with Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema on multiple upcoming films, including The Hunt for Gollum. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Peter Jackson’s original The Lord of the Rings series, is coming back to direct this film.
