New Lord of the Rings game will go beyond Tolkien’s books

new lord of the rings game moria

A new Lord of the Rings game has been announced during the Epic Games Summer Showcase. The surprise new title, Return to Moria, is a survival crafting game similar to Minecraft and Valheim, going beyond the story of J.R.R. Tolkien’s landmark fantasy novels.

Following the events of the Third Age, you will embark on a quest to reclaim Moria, the lost Dwarf kingdom. Overrun with orcs and beasts far more fowl, you can delve into this vast underground realm with up to seven other players, gathering resources, battling, and building. It will launch in early 2023 for PC.

While the concept is hardly original, it will be interesting to see how developer Free Range Games makes use of the LOTR license. It wasn’t that long ago that EA announced a new Lord of the Rings game – a mobile RPG from the creators of Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes.

The Lord of The Rings Return to Moria Key Features

  • Feel the Fellowship: Experience the Fellowship of the Dwarves like never before, with the rich lore of the iconic fantasy world from J.R.R. Tolkien interwoven into the very fabric of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.
  • Survive the Dark: To survive the treacherous Mines of Moria players must conserve resources, hunt and gather for food and manage their sleep, temperature and noise levels. Utilize dynamic light systems for safety and to blaze a path further into the darkness. Battle unspeakable evils and survive hordes of monstrous Orcs in visceral combat, while uncovering the secret of the Shadow that looms within the mountain.
  • Base Building: Find solace from the darkness. Reveal and clear new locations to create architecture on a grand scale. Get creative and construct bases from scratch or build upon the existing environment. Beware the evils which seek to destroy Dwarven progress.
  • Rebuild and Reshape Moria: Restore the long-lost ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm to its former glory, recovering Dwarven landmarks as the story progresses. Resurrect old mines and refire their forges to yield their untouched resources.
  • Explore: Delve into the depths of the Mines of Moria. Procedurally generated environments are abundant with resources and fraught with mystery and danger, providing a unique experience each and every time.
  • Co-op Multiplayer: Adventure alone or band together with friends in online cooperative multiplayer with up to eight players.
  • Craft Dwarven Tools, Weapons and More: Craft and loot legendary Dwarven armor, tools, weapons and structures. Rebuild ancient forges to strengthen, repair and enchant gear. Upgrade and unlock new technologies and fantastical machines.
  • Uncover Magic Artifacts: Discover ancient magic items including swords that glow when Orcs are near, maps of long-dormant Mithril veins, books with forgotten crafting plans and amulets that give strength or wisdom.
  • Mine Ore and Jewels: Establish mines to unearth deposits of precious resources such as iron, gold, and quartz; and fantastical materials such as Mithril. Access crafting stations and forges to convert ore to ingots and upgrade gear. But be prepared, mining is loud and can awaken what lurks in the darkness.
  • Comprehensive Dwarf Builder: Players become part of Dwarven Legend as they create their own Dwarf in the custom character creator. Dwarves can be customized in a variety of ways to create a unique Dwarven identity. Then, during gameplay, players can find and craft armor and weapons to further enhance their unique style.

If you can’t wait, then there’s another LOTR game coming a bit sooner with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum releasing in September – check out our recent preview.

Source: Press Release

Written by
Senior Editor bursting with lukewarm takes and useless gaming trivia. May as well surgically attach my DualSense at this point.