Monolith Productions, the developer of the Middle-earth games that take place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings, is apparently working on a third entry in the series and it will be next-gen only.
This will be music to the ears of those who were invested in that The Lord Of The Rings MMO over at Amazon Game Studios. The project looked like it would be promising, even though not a lot had been shown off about the game, and would have involved "lands, people, and creatures never before seen" in the Tolkien universe. Last month, it was sadly cancelled as a result of a disagreement between Tencent Holdings and Amazon because the two had been "unable to secure terms to proceed with this title at this time." So, the door is technically still open for a return to the game, but I wouldn't hold your breath right now. That's why this news of a Middle-earth 3 is exciting, as the slate of upcoming Lord Of The Rings games is not very populous at the moment. The announcement comes from a leak on Reddit, and as such, we should consider these claims with caution.
Developed by Daedalic Entertainment, The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum is on its way to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S next year. Check out the teaser trailer below.
Advert
The newest entry to the Middle-earth series is to be revealed during E3 2021, said Due-Okra-135. The open world - which we know is a focus of Monolith Productions' latest and unannounced title - is on par with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in terms of scale with no loading screens, and includes Rivendell, Nordinbad and Dol Guldur. This is apparently only possible on "next gen platforms and PC," and horse riding is a new mode of transport for the new protagonist, who is a female elf. The leaker also adds that the Nemesis system is going to encompass humans too, which was mentioned in a job opportunity at Monolith Productions two years ago.
While Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor won 18 awards from six different bodies, Middle-earth: Shadow of War was mired in a controversy on its microtransactions and loot boxes, eventually leading to their total removal from the second game. It would be understandable if Monolith Productions wasn't overly keen on returning to Middle-earth so soon, however, it would likely be a surefire success given the popularity of the source material and the revolutionary Nemesis system. We'll keep an eye on how this story progresses and let you know what we know in the future.
Featured Image Credit: Monolith ProductionsTopics: News, The Lord Of The Rings