Amazon has struck a deal with Embracer Group, the company that owns the intellectual property rights for “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit,” to release a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) based on the works of JRR Tolkien. The upcoming game will be an open-world MMO adventure set in Middle-earth, featuring the stories from “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” literary trilogy.
The game is in the early stages of production with Amazon Games studio Orange County, which is the same studio behind the MMO New World. Amazon Games will publish the game worldwide for PC and consoles. Amazon says it will reveal additional details, including the launch schedule, at a later date.
Although Amazon Studios is producing “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” for Prime Video, Amazon says the show has nothing to do with this upcoming MMO game in development with Amazon Games.
“We are committed to bringing high-quality games to players, whether through original IPs or beloved games like The Lord of the Ringssaid Christoph Hartmann, vice president of Amazon Games, in a press release. “Bring players a new vision The Lord of the Rings has long been an aspiration for our team, and we are honored and grateful to have Middle-earth Enterprises entrust us with this iconic world. We are also delighted to extend our relationship with Embracer Group following our Tomb Raider deal last year, as they have proven to be excellent collaborators.
It should be noted that the upcoming game will be Amazon’s second attempt at a Lord of the Rings MMO. The company’s first attempt was announced in 2019, then canceled in 2021. The game was co-developed by Amazon, Athlon Games, and Leyou. The project was scrapped after a disagreement between Amazon and Tencent, which acquired Leyou in 2020.
The news of the upcoming game comes as Amazon continues its push into video games and reworks its strategy. Earlier this year, the company laid off around 100 employees in its video game division. The layoffs included employees from Game Growth Group, Amazon’s San Diego game studio and Prime Gaming.
Amazon Games’ lineup includes the in-house developed MMO New World and the action role-playing game Lost Ark. The company is also develop a new cross-platform »Tomb Raider” title. Launched in 2013, Amazon Games has yet to produce any major hits despite several published projects. The company is now looking to cook up a hit with a major fantasy franchise title that will likely draw attention.
