Amazon Games partners with Embracer for new Lord of the Rings MMO

Amazon Games announced on Monday that it has partnered with Embracer Group for its upcoming massively multiplayer online (MMO) game that will be based on The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Sweden-based video game company Embracer acquired Middle-earth Enterprises last August, which had held IP rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for 50 years.

In its announcement post, Amazon Games said that the title, which is currently in early stages of production, will be an open-world MMO adventure set in Middle-earth, and feature the stories of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy.

Amazon Games Orange County, the same studio behind the popular open-world MMO title New World, is leading the development of the game, which will be available for PC and console players around the world. Amazon said that it will provide further details regarding the game, including its launch date, at a later time.

This will be Amazon’s second attempt to develop and publish an MMO title based on The Lord of the Rings. In 2019, the company partnered with Athlon Games and Leyou on a similar project, but it was eventually cancelled in 2021 after a disagreement with Tencent, the Chinese tech giant that acquired Leyou the previous year.

Also Read: The 5 Best Lord of the Rings Games

Commenting on the upcoming game, Amazon Games Vice President Christoph Hartmann said: “We’re committed to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings. Bringing players a fresh take on The Lord of the Rings has long been an aspiration for our team, and we’re honored and grateful that Middle-earth Enterprises is entrusting us with this iconic world. We’re also pleased to be expanding our relationship with Embracer Group following our Tomb Raider deal last year, as they’ve proven to be excellent collaborators.”

Lee Guinchard, Chief Executive Officer at Embracer Freemode, said: “The world of Middle-earth continues to prove an endlessly fertile ground for creators, and Amazon Games has a passion for building immersive, compelling worlds and publishing games for a global audience. We have the clear ambition to create the highest-quality entertainment products for this IP, whether we utilize internal resources or team up with the best industry partners that complement our capabilities. We’re taking every care to deliver an MMO which will do justice to the expansive Middle-earth universe and delight players around the world.”

In December, Amazon Games also announced a partnership with Crystal Dynamics, which was acquired by Embracer Group last year, to publish the next Tomb Raider game.

Meanwhile, the news comes less than a week after Electronic Arts and Capital Games launched The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth on mobile platforms.