Amazon Games and Embracer Group, through their Freemode task force subsidiary Middle-earth Enterprises, have announced a partnership to release a new MMORPG based on J.R.R. Tolkien. The name and details of the novelty are not yet known, but, apparently, it has nothing to do with the closed game from Amazon.
The development of the project is led by Amazon Games Orange County, known for MMORPG New World, and Amazon Games will act as a publisher worldwide. The game will be released on PC and unnamed consoles. Additional details, including launch dates, will be announced at a later date.
“We’re committed to offering players high-quality games, whether they’re original IPs or long-time favorites like The Lord of the Rings,” said Christoph Hartmann, vice president of Amazon Games. “We have long dreamed of offering players a new take on The Lord of the Rings, and we are honored that Middle-earth Enterprises has entrusted us with this legendary world. We are also delighted to expand our relationship with the Embracer Group following last year’s Tomb Raider deal as they have proven to be excellent partners.”
“The world of Middle-earth continues to be endlessly fertile ground for creators, and Amazon Games has a passion for creating immersive, interesting worlds and publishing games for a global audience,” said Lee Ginchard, CEO of Freemode. “We have a clear commitment to building the highest quality entertainment products for this IP, whether we use in-house resources or team up with the best industry partners to complement our capabilities. We will work hard to create an MMO that is fair to the vast universe of Middle-earth and that will delight players around the world.”
Amazon also previously announced publishing deals with NCSOFT for Throne and Liberty, Bandai Namco Online for Blue Protocol, Crystal Dynamics for the next big Tomb Raider game, and Glowmade and Disruptive Games for unannounced titles.
