The Lord of the Rings Game Announced by Amazon Game Studios and Leyou

Amazon Game Studios revealed today they will be working with Leyou Technologies, and Middle-earth Enterprises to develop and publish a free-to-play MMO based in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. No release date has been given as of yet, however. This MMO will be set in the Middle-earth portrayed in the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and will offer a new immersive experience for the world of Tolkien. This MMO however, is a separate entity from The Lord of the Rings series heading to Prime Video.

“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.”

Amazon Game Studios and Leyou will jointly develop the game for PC and consoles, and Amazon Game Studios will market and publish the title globally with the exception of China, which will be managed by Leyou. The collaboration brings together Amazon’s game technology and talented MMO developers, and Leyou’s expertise in designing free-to-play games and operating live-service games.

“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.”