New Online 'Lord of the Rings' Game Announced

A new online game based on the world of The Lord of the Rings was announced Tuesday with Athlon Games working on the project.

Athlon Games announced on Tuesday that the console and PC game publisher has signed a deal with Middle-earth Enterprises to license the rights to The Lord of the Rings for the creation of the online game that hasn't yet had a name revealed. Working with an unnamed partner developer, Athlon Games will create a game that is based on The Lord of The Rings and is set in Middle-earth, though the game takes place "at a time long before the events of The Lord of the Rings."

"It's a singular opportunity to work closely with Middle-earth Enterprises to create a completely new experience for fans of the landmark fantasy work of J.R.R. Tolkien, and we are excited about the resurgence of interest in The Lord of the Rings IP," said Dave Miller, president of Athlon Games. "This, along with several other major properties Athlon is working with, will help us to further our goal of creating AAA cooperative console and PC experiences that gamers will want to play for years to come."

Described as a "multi-year online game," the announcement didn't explicitly say that the game would be free-to-play, but a reference to Athlon Games' parent company Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited's "deep expertise with free-to-play game design" indicates that free is likely the way it'll go. Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited owns other studios like Digital Extremes that created Warframe and Splash Damage which developed Bethesda's Brink. Athlon Games itself is new though with no titles listed in its portfolio, but Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited's CEO commented on the newly-formed studio and looked forward to its future with Western audiences.

"We believe in Athlon Games' model to collaborate closely with Western developers to implement incredibly successful live services, while also giving its partners the autonomy they need to develop outstanding game experiences," said Alex Xu, CEO of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited. "At Leyou, we've seen great success implementing this strategy with other titles, such as Warframe. Now we can expand our footprint in the West with Athlon Games."

The new studio is based in Los Angeles. No further information was shared on Athlon Games' project based on The Lord of the Rings regarding when it's expected to be released or any gameplay details.