There have been plenty of Lord of the Rings games over the last few years, but the prospect of a new one will still spark plenty of excitement from die-hard fans of the fantasy series. Recent reports have softly announced a new title set in Middle-Earth, with an ambitious scale meant to match other large action-adventure experiences. However, the workload and struggles the studio behind this new game may derail it before it ever gets off the ground.
Based on details surrounding this new Lord of the Rings game, it is confirmed that multiple development studios have been handed the reigns to make a new title in J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved world. As of right now, Embracer group holds the rights to all Lord of the Rings games, prototyping ideas for different groups to extend further in official projects. The evergreen popularity of the franchise will undoubtedly see more games than ever in development, but the struggling state of the gaming industry might impact these potential titles.
Veteran Developer Group Crystal Dynamics Is Working On A New Lord Of The Rings Game
According to reports from Insider Gaming, developer Crystal Dynamics is working on the next Lord of the Rings game, with Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 studio Warhorse also taking on the fantasy franchise through a separate project. Warhorse Studios has seen a recent boom in success through their hit RPG sequel, but Crystal Dynamics is a much more seasoned group of creators through their signature Tomb Raider and Legacy of Kain series.
Continuing information from the reports state that Crystal Dynamics was approached by Embracer due to financial backing the latter group got from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. Based on initial claims, it seems like the aim of this new Lord of the Rings game is to emulate Hogwarts Legacy to some degree, in an attempt to compete with its success. This could hint at a variety of prototypes or early pre-production plans for the game, including a larger open-world and plenty of action-adventure elements that Hogwarts Legacy had.
As of right now, other Lord of the Rings games like Tales of the Shire and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum have been mostly disappointing, with the second game in particular garnering a ton of criticism. Given the tumultuous state of this series’ games lately, fans may be excited to see Warhorse and Crystal Dynamics take a stab at creating a version of Middle-Earth. Yet, as The Lord of the Rings: Gollum caused studios like Daedalic Entertainment to get shut down, perhaps this news isn’t as good as many would have hoped.
The Tomb Raider Studio Already Has A Lot On Their Plate Right Now
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Unfortunately, the biggest problem with Crystal Dynamics handling a brand-new Lord of the Rings project is how the studio already has several ongoing games under development right now. Based on the company’s announced plans, Crystal Dynamics is attempting to release Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis in 2026, marking a full remake of the original Tomb Raider game that started the franchise. Afterwards, the studio has claimed that they will be launching a second Tomb Raider title in 2027, a new entry in the series called Tomb Raider: Catalyst.
Having two high-profile AAA projects is already a lot for any studio, but taking on a third for one of the largest fantasy IPs of all time is asking for trouble. The scale of this Lord of the Rings game in comparison to Hogwarts Legacy implies a huge development cost and work too, likely meaning it won’t release for multiple years. In all likelihood, players won’t see anything related to this game until maybe 2027, after Tomb Raider: Catalyst has come out if Crystal Dynamics keeps their promise.
Intense Previous Layoffs Could Hinder Any Lord Of The Rings Game From Appearing For Years
It doesn’t help that Crystal Dynamics’ past game struggles have led to four different periods of layoffs in the past year or two. Over 60 developers have been let go from Crystal Dynamics, leading to far less manpower to handle the projects at hand. Arguably, the acceptance of a new Lord of the Rings game into the studio’s development cycles could spell disaster, as layoffs may likely have slowed any production processes to a crawl.
It was already questionable for Crystal Dynamics to keep their schedule regarding their two Tomb Raider games due to these layoffs, but the Lord of the Rings game is another story entirely. Even with the same Insider Gaming report about the project states that Crystal Dynamics is getting development help from Revenge Games, there is a chance that this new title won’t even being work until 2027 or later. Players may not even hear of the game until 2028 or 2029, provided that it doesn’t get cancelled first.
Given the long waits for big AAA games these days, this project may not even release until 2030 or later, after Crystal Dynamics has been given time to hire more developers and shift their focus past their released Tomb Raider games. In any case, this Lord of the Rings game isn’t something for fans to feel excited about for now, as it may as well not exist until more information from either Crystal Dynamics or Embracer group is shared.
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