Summary
Free Range Games has announced the 1.0 release ofLord of the Rings: Return to Moriaon Steam and Xbox Series X|S on August 27. Currently available on the Epic Games Store and PlayStation 5, the expansion to additional platforms has long been asked for by fans ofLord of the Rings: Return to Moria.
Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriais just one of the games set in Tolkien’s fantasy world released in 2023. A survival crafting title, it takes a deeper dive into the Mines of Moria after the Ring is destroyed. Gimli makes his iconic return as leader of the dwarves, with players controlling a member of the excavation crew that becomes trapped in the mines after an explosion.
Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriawill expand to Steam and Xbox Series X|S on May 24, 2025 for $19.99. Along with the additional platforms, crossplay will be added to the title, allowing players to play with up to seven friends regardless of their device. If playing alone, the highly requested single player pause feature will also be implemented.
Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Launching Golden Update on August 27
Dubbed The Golden Update, all versions of the game will receive new content to explore. This includes the 1.0 version of Sandbox Mode, a nonlinear mode allowing players to explore Moria without being tied to the main story. The mine is randomly generated, allowing variety in difficulty and map layouts. Separate from the original game, players can explore to their hearts' content while still being able to transfer their dwarf to othersave files.
Along with Sandbox Mode, there are newitems to craftinLord of the Rings: Return to Moria.Updates to base building are included, along with new structures to erect. There are 14 new weapons and armor pieces to discover the recipes for, along with 100 different build objects, including new lights, tables, and rugs. Weapons and Armor can only be found in Sandbox Mode, but if the items are equipped to a character when transferred to the main story, the items will travel with them.
The Golden Update forLord of the Rings: Return to Moriadoesn’t expand more on the history of the dwarvesin the Mines of Moria. However, the inclusion of Sandbox Mode could lead to future updates including additional lore. With the influx of new players on Xbox and Steam there may be opportunities to continue updating the only survival game set in Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
WHERE TO PLAY
Reclaim the Dwarven homeland of MoriaSummoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer, players take control of a company of Dwarves tasked to reclaim the lost spoils from the Dwarven homeland of Moria—known as Khazad-dûm or Dwarrowdelf—in the depths below their very feet. Their quest will require fortitude, delving deep into the Mines of Moria to recover its treasures. Set in a procedurally generated Dwarven realm of Moria, no two adventures will be alike, and every expedition is traversable either solo or online with companions. Players can mine to craft greater gear and resources, but beware mining makes noise, and noise created in the quiet deep threatens to awaken the dangers below: where there’s clatter, there’s combat. Excavate the mysteries of three legendary mountains, extract precious metals, scrape to survive, and battle unspeakable forces to learn the secret of the Shadow that lurks within.
