The new wave of Lord of the Rings games continues this month with Gollum and Heroes of Middle-earth . Amazon has partnered with Embracer Group to release a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMO) based on the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit stories. The game is in early development at Amazon Games’ New World Orange County studio. The game will launch on PC and consoles at an unspecified date
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It’s no surprise that Amazon is responsible for the “Rings of Power” TV series. Amazon points out that the series takes place during the Second Age of Middle-earth and is unrelated to the MMO. The synchronicity is certainly convenient, but there’s no direct connection other than the underlying universe.
See also: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Amazon Prime record
Amazon has struggled with its in-house game development. Its “New World” game has been delayed multiple times and its active user base is small compared to other games it has released. The company released Crucible just months after the shooter game was released. The tech giant has found greater success in publishing, signing deals for Lost Ark and the upcoming Tomb Raider.
See also: EA announced that it will create a Lord of the Rings mobile game
The announcement comes as Amazon is refocusing its overall strategy for the video game. The studio recently laid off more than 100 employees working on games in San Diego. It is now focusing on its teams in Orange County and Montreal. Amazon has committed to expanding its first studio and an online RPG into a major franchise.
