A new Lord of the Rings MMO is in the works from the developers of New World

Fans of Middle-earth will have a new game to check out on normal Earth. Amazon Games and Embracer Group are working on a new Lord of the Rings massively multiplayer online game (MMO). The companies announced on May 15, 2023 that a deal had been reached to license the Lord of the Rings from Embracer-owned Middle-earth Enterprises.

The game has no title or release window at the moment. It will be an "open-world MMO adventure" set in Middle-earth. It's still early into production and is being developed by Amazon Games Orange County. The studio also developed the MMO New World, which released in 2021. New World, which took place in an alternate Age of Exploration, blended MMORPG elements with crafting and survival mechanics. It remains to be seen whether the new LOTR-based game will incorporate aspects of New World or try for a different angle.

This also isn't the first time Amazon has announced a Lord of the Rings online game. In 2019 Amazon partnered with China-based Leyou Technologies to develop a LOTR online game, but the deal fell through in 2021 over contract disputes.

The new Lord of the Rings MMO is in development, but has no announced platforms or release window. Check out the full announcement press release below.