EA A new free-to-play game has been announced in partnership with Middle-earth Enterprises Lord of the Rings mobile game.
The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth According to EA (via Business Wire), it’s a “collectible role-playing game that brings the fantasy and adventure of Lord of the Rings to existing fans and new audiences in a strategically social competitive experience”. Apparently, this is part of the company’s efforts to continue offering live service titles and “reaching more players on more platforms around the world.”
The heroes of Middle-earth will apparently feature turn-based combat, with a slew of characters from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It’s also noted that players will “fight through iconic stories from Tolkien’s world,” so it sounds like the game could take place in any part of the world’s history.
It’s not a remake of the best GameCube/PS2/Xbox game ever made, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Heroes of Middle-earth will be the first game in a while to actually be about Lord of the Rings, as Middle-earth is really just Shadow of Mordor and shadow of war.
A limited regional test is also slated for release this summer, though there isn’t any specific time window other than the season.
EA Malachi Boyle’s VP of Mobile RPG said the studio was “very excited to be working with Middle-earth Enterprises on this game”. “The combination of high-fidelity graphics, cinematic animation and stylized art immerses players in the fantasy of Middle-earth, where they will go head-to-head with their favorite characters.”
Essentially, it sounds like The Lord of the Rings is going the gacha route, but it could be something else entirely. That’s not surprising considering the ludicrous total revenue Genshin Impact has made since its launch in 2020 ($3 billion, as you know), and the popularity and profitability of mobile games in general.
It’s unclear if the characters will resemble those in the movie in any way, but considering this is a gashapon game, there’s plenty of room for multiple interpretations and designs. Here’s hoping to get some reps for the 1978 Lord of the Rings animated film.
