Recently, Amazon Prime acquired the rights to create a Tomb Raider series and film. Amazon Games is also developing a new Tomb Raider game in partnership with Crystal Dynamics. Now, Amazon Games is working on a Lord of the Rings MMO. The news comes after the company reached an agreement with Embracer Group subsidiary Middle-earth Enterprises.
In Early Development
Based on the book series by J.R.R. Tolkien, the upcoming game will be set in Middle-earth. As of now, the Lord of the Rings MMO is in the early stages of production. Amazon Games Orange County studio, the studio behind Amazon’s New World MMO, is leading the game’s development.
“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,” Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode told Deadline. “We have the clear ambition to create the highest-quality entertainment products for this IP, whether we utilise 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.”
Amazon Games is Growing
Few details about the games are currently avaliable. However, Amazon Games does plan to publish the game for both PC and consoles. Amazon Games has been gaining more recognition since the success of its MMO New World. Both games have strong communities of players and have topped Steam and Twitch charts.
“We’re committed to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings,” says Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games. “Bringing players a fresh take on The Lord of the Rings has long been an aspiration for our team, and we’re honoured 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.”
Likewise, Amazon Games also has publishing agreements with NCSOFT for Throne and Liberty, and Bandai Namco Online for Blue Protocol. The company has additional publishing deals with Glowmade and Disruptive Games.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
