By Gavin Boyle
Three years after Swedish video game studio Embracer purchased the rights to The Lord of the Rings, they announced production on a new video game set in Middle Earth.
“I am truly excited to have The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, one of the world’s most epic fantasy franchises join the Embracer family, opening up more transmedia opportunities including synergies across our global group,” Lars Wingefors, the founder and CEO of Embracer Group, said in August of 2022. “I am thrilled to see what lies in the future for this IP with Freemode and Asmodee as a start within the group. Going forward, we also look forward to collaborating with both existing and new external licensees of our increasingly stronger IP portfolio.”
While the public only just learned about the upcoming Lord of the Rings video game, it has been in development for at least a year and is set to receive roughly $100 million in funding from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, though this deal has yet to close. The game will likely give players full access to the Lord of the Rings universe, as it is teased as a competitor to 2023’s “Hogwarts Legacy” which did the same with the Harry Potter franchise.
Embracer will look to redeem the Lord of the Rings’ name in the world of video games after 2023’s “The Lord of the Rings – Gollum” was panned by audiences and critics alike, and was named one of the worst video games of the year. The franchise has found success in the gaming world in the past through titles like “Lego Lord of the Rings” and “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
The development of this game comes as The Lord of the Rings franchise enters a new era of popularity through projects like THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER and the upcoming movie THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM. Additionally, the book rights were recently acquired by Curtis Brown Heritage, likely meaning new literary resources are also soon to come.
“As a family, we remain deeply conscious of the responsibility of looking after J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary works and legacy,” the Tolkien estate said in a statement after announcing the deal with Curtis Brown Heritage. “We are committed to keeping his stories alive for generations to come. In Curtis Brown Heritage we have found partners who share that passion, and we are delighted to be working with them.”
It is truly an amazing time to be a fan of Middle Earth, and as more and more projects are announced, excitement only continues to grow as the legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary world expands.
Read Next: Why THE LORD OF THE RINGS Franchise is Returning with Gollum
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