Private Division has announced that it will be publishing a game set in J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle-earth universe developed by the Weta Workshop, a company best known for their VFX and prop work in the cinematic adaptations of both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
Middle-earth Enterprises has licensed the “literary works of the series” to the developer to work from and interpret in this upcoming game. “The Lord of the Rings IP is home to so many remarkable stories, and no entity is better equipped than the team at Weta Workshop to create a distinctive, new Middle-earth gaming experience,” reads a statement from Private Division on the partnership.
We’re thrilled to announce that we have partnered with @WetaWorkshop to publish a new game set in the literary Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien. We look forward to sharing more about the project in the future! pic.twitter.com/z9HxvXe7Da
— Private Division (@PrivateDivision) August 15, 2022
Though Weta Workshop is mostly known for its effects work in film, the company did form a gaming division in 2014 that is now working on this title. Little is known about the game currently, but Private Division’s statement does note that the title is early in development and currently slated for release in Take-Two’s (which owns Private Division) 2024 fiscal year. This means that barring any delays, folks should expect to play this game between April 2023 and March 2024.
News of this game comes at a time where the Lord of the Rings IP is seeing explosive growth. The Lord of Rings: Gollum is a prequel to the main story that follows the eponymous character before his epic journey with Frodo and Sam. Though the game was expected this year, developer Daedalic Entertainment announced a delay of “a few months” and haven’t given it a firm release window as of yet. Additionally, The Lord of the Rings: Return To Moria, a survival game following dwarves attempting to reclaim their home, was announced this summer for release in 2023. And of course, this September marks the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a prequel series coming to Amazon that is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. Suffice to say, there’s a lot of Middle-earth on the horizon.
