Summary
The Vice President of Amazon Games has hinted about the state of the publisher’s upcomingThe Lord of the RingsMMO. Although the release is still years away, players can expect thatThe Lord of the RingsMMO will be ambitious and unique.
Despite the backing of one of the largest corporations on the planet, Amazon Games has so far struggled to establish a major foothold in the market. Despite early excitement surrounding earlier MMOsNew WorldandLost Ark, these attempts struggled to compete against titans such asWorld of WarcraftandFinal Fantasy XIV. However, with 10 new projects currently in development - including the upcoming co-op hack-and-slash adventureKing of Meat, the nextmajor installment of theTomb Raiderfranchise, and a new driving game from the makers ofForza Horizon -Amazon Games is determined to make its mark on the industry.
“We want to have one of those big franchises, that’s the whole point,” says Amazon Games’ Vice President Christoph Hartmannspeaking to IGN. “Anything smaller than that would not be interesting to Amazon; we are a larger-than-life company.” It makes perfect sense then, for the publisher to work withThe Lord of the Rings,a larger-than-life franchise. Few details are known aboutAmazon’s upcomingThe Lord of the RingsMMORPG, other than it will take place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Middle Earth. Even the creators don’t yet know what the game will fully be about: “It’s a big IP, it’s a big game,” says Hartmann, recognizing the expectations surrounding aLord of the Ringstitle. “We’re still trying to find the hook, find that idea of what it is […] what could be the thing which is different to all the other games out there.”
Amazon Wants The Lord of the Rings MMO to Stand Out from the Competition
This is not Amazon’s first attempt at aLord of the RingsMMO. In 2021, Amazon Gaming Studios canceled development on an earlier foray into Middle Earth following Tencent’s acquisition of developer Leyou for a staggering $1.5 billion. Amazon’sLord of the RingsMMO isnot to be confused withThe Lord of the Rings Online, an active MMORPG that has enjoyed an active player base and continued development since 2007. Hartmann sees the need to differentiate Amazon’s new title from this existing game, stating that “we don’t just want to go and do the same thing over […] that’s not the point of doing it. You’ve got to find a fresh twist.”
“We want to have one of those big franchises, that’s the whole point. Anything smaller than that would not be interesting to Amazon; we are a larger-than-life company.”
Although it appears that gamers will have to wait for even the smallest details regarding the new MMO, 2024 has plenty for Tolkien fans to get excited about. Season 2 ofRings of Powerwill debut on August 29, whileThe War of the Rohirrimwill follow on December 13. 2024 also heralded the surprise announcement oftwo new live-action film projects beginning withThe Hunt for Gollum, now confirmed to be directed by Andy Serkis.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
