Amazon and Embracer announced this morning that they’re building a new MMORPG based on The Lord of the Rings.
To understand what the heck is happening with this story, you need to know a couple of things. First, Embracer Group – the megacorp best known to MMO fans for having bought PWE/Cryptic and all its western MMOs back in 2021 and rebranded it under Gearbox – bought up rights to Middle-earth Enterprises last year, including “vast intellectual property catalogue and worldwide rights to motion pictures, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks and stage productions relating” to Tolkien’s work.
Second, Amazon was previously collaborating on a Lord of the Rings MMORPG with Tencent and Leyou, but the companies canceled it, also in 2021, over what sounded like a failed business partnership. Amazon Games’ parent company, of course, has also been knee-deep in the Rings of Power TV series.
Now it appears Amazon has revived the project in partnership with Embracer, and they are very definitely calling it an MMO.
“The upcoming game will be an open-world MMO adventure in a persistent world set in Middle-earth, featuring the beloved stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings literary trilogy. The game is in early stages of production, with Amazon Games Orange County—makers of the popular open-world MMO game New World—leading development. Amazon Games will publish the game globally for PC and consoles. Additional details, including launch timing, will be shared at a later date.”
We're excited to announce our collaboration with Embracer Group and Middle-earth Enterprises for our upcoming MMORPG based on the iconic The Lord of the Rings property!
Learn more here!
⚔️ https://t.co/q9IzMSuuLp pic.twitter.com/kpsIa6xj9U— Amazon Games (@amazongames) May 15, 2023
