Independent developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games announce the release of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
The only survival crafting video game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and the fantasy world of JRR Tolkien is now available digitally for Windows PC via Steam and Xbox Series X|S at a discounted price of $19.99 for a limited time.
As part of the launch, fans new and old can enjoy cross-play between all platforms, Sandbox mode, and a host of new features, updates, improvements, and more as part of the Golden Update, available today for all platforms.
Steam players can also purchase the platform-exclusive launch bundle, which includes the game, the official soundtrack with 34 tracks of original music, and a stunning art exhibition at a limited-time, discounted price.
“We’re thrilled to bring The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria to Steam and Xbox, giving a whole new audience the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Mines of Moria,” said John Miller, CEO of North Beach Games. “With all of the new features and content in the Golden Update, Return to Moria offers the deepest dive yet into a survival crafting experience based on The Lord of the Rings, and we can’t wait to hear what players think.”
“Middle-earth Enterprises is thrilled that The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is launching today on Steam and Xbox,” said Fredrica Drotos, Steward, Brand & Licensing at MEE. “We are very pleased and proud to have North Beach Games and Free Range Games expanding the Middle-earth universe in gaming.”
“The development team has put in a lot of work since launching in October 2023, and we’re really proud of how far the game has come,” said Jon-Paul Dumont, Game Director at Free Range Games. “From crossplay to sandbox mode to all the new content and improvements based on player feedback, we’re more excited than ever for fans to play Return to Moria.”
New content and improvements in The Golden Update include:
Sandbox mode: Previously only available in the beta version of Return to Moria, Sandbox mode allows players on all platforms to explore and experiment on the mountain independently.
In this non-linear mode, the full potential of the procedural generation system is exploited.
The game world is generated using a variety of random seeds, meaning that each playthrough can vary significantly in terms of layout and difficulty.
Due to the inherent unpredictability and minimal tutorials, this mode is recommended for players familiar with Return to Moria or other survival games.
Crossplay across all platforms: Exploring the Mines of Moria with friends is now even easier!
Any player on PC via Steam or EGS, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 can now host games that any other player can join. Just like with non-crossplay games, Steam players can host 8-player sessions regardless of the platform the participating players are on.
New weapons and armor: The sandbox mode brings recipes for 14 new weapons and armor, including a wolf’s hat, a Gondorian shield, a Khazad halberd, and a Barôkamlut.
Although they can only be discovered in Sandbox mode, players can also take the new items into Campaign mode as long as their Dwarf has them equipped when entering Sandbox mode.
New building parts and decorations: Players can decorate their bases with over 100 new building objects, including new cosmetic decorations such as lighting fixtures, carpets, banners, furnishings, tables and chairs.
Building improvements: With changes to the stability system and improved object snapping, restoring Moria is now easier than ever. The various buildings in Moria are now stronger than ever, giving players the ability to build sprawling bases wherever they want.
Single player break:
Ambient music: By popular demand, there is now an ambient music soundtrack to accompany the adventures of the dwarves in Moria.
Difficulty settings: Players can now adjust the difficulty level for various aspects of the game, including enemy aggression, combat, horde, siege and patrol frequency, world and mine drops, and survival.
Bug fixes and improvements: More details on the various updates, bug fixes, multiplayer connectivity improvements, and more introduced to the game.
The story of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria takes players beyond the books into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the fantastical world created by JRR Tolkien.
Summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer (voiced in the game by actor John Rhys-Davies), players join a company of dwarves tasked with retrieving the lost loot from the dwarven homeland of Moria – known as Khazad-dûm or Dwarrowdelf – in the depths beneath their feet.
Their task requires bravery and teamwork as they must delve deep into the mines of Moria to recover the treasures in the hope of one day restoring them to their former glory.