A new Lord of the Rings game is in development and is a third-person action game designed to “compete with Hogwarts Legacy,” according to a new report.
Insider Gaming said it heard from sources close to the project that the unannounced and untitled game is funded, in part, by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), to the tune of around $100 million USD. A deal could be made public as soon as next week, the report said.
In addition to ADIO, the rumored new Lord of the Rings game is said to involve Embracer, which is the company that owns the rights to Lord of the Rings games (and other extensions of the fantasy series). The developer Revenge is said to be involved as well.
A spokesperson for Embracer said, “We do not comment on rumors or speculation.” The developer Revenge declined to comment as well when approached by Insider Gaming.
The report had no specific details on the supposed new Lord of the Rings game, so it’s unclear at this stage what it means that the game could be designed to compete with Hogwarts Legacy. That game, released in 2023, was an enormous success, becoming the No. 1 best-selling game of the year in the US. A sequel is now a top priority at Warner Bros.
As for The Lord of the Rings, games based on the franchise have not fared all that well of late. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum had such a troubled launch in 2023 that its developer canceled its next game and stopped making games altogether. This year’s Tales of the Shire got mixed reviews.
The existence of a new Lord of the Rings game from Embracer is no surprise at all, as the company said more than a year ago that it was prototyping multiple new games. 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.
In addition to this new mysterious project, Embracer is working with Amazon Games currently on a new MMO in the Middle-earth universe.
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–but developer Monolith has since shut down. 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.
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.
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