Amazon Game Studios announced a collaboration with Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited and Middle-earth Enterprises to develop and publish a free-to-play MMO game based on The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The events of the game will be taking place hundreds of years before those of the trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings MMO will be developed for PC and consoles, with Amazon Game Studios marketing and publishing it globally with the exception of China, which will be managed by Leyou.
There is currently no release date set.
“We’re committed to bringing customers games of the highest quality, both with our own original IP as well as beloved cultural pillars like The Lord of the Rings,” said Christoph Hartmann, VP, Amazon Game Studios. “Tolkien’s Middle-earth is one of the richest fictional worlds in history, and it gives our team of experienced MMO developers – from the same studio developing New World – tremendous opportunity to play and create. We have a strong leadership team in place to helm this new project, and we’re actively growing our team to help build this incredible experience.”
“Bringing Middle-earth to life necessitates having the very best partners, and Amazon’s customer obsession, technology, and talented teams make it the ideal choice for a co-developer and publisher,” said Alex Xu, CEO of Leyou Technologies Holdings. “We believe our combined resources and expertise will result in a beautiful and compelling game that customers will love and play for years to come.”
“Who among us hasn’t wanted to take part in an epic adventure,” said Fredrica Drotos, Chief Brand and Licensing Officer at Middle-earth Enterprises. “More than 60 years after the publication of The Fellowship of the Ring, we’re delighted that Amazon Game Studios has partnered with Leyou to bring their respective expertise to build a much-anticipated game that will immerse us in the beloved, epic world of Middle-earth, envisioned by Professor Tolkien.”