Lord of the Rings RPG Gets New Publisher

The tabletop RPG version of Lord of the Rings has a new home. Earlier today, Free League Publishing, the maker of the Tales from the Loop RPG and the Alien RPG, announced they would publish both The One Ring and Adventures in Middle-Earth, the official RPGs featuring the characters and locations of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, starting on June 1, 2020. While both games feature Middle-Earth, they use different rules and mechanics. Adventures in Middle-Earth uses a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition ruleset, while The One Ring uses a unique game system. Although the two games are switching publishers, the creators of the games, Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi, will remain the lead designers.

In a statement on their Facebook page, Sophisticated Games confirmed that Free League Publishing would be working on a new edition of both The One Ring and Adventures in Middle-Earth. Notably, Adventures in Middle-Earth had just seen its Second Edition come out last year, which was cut short by the announcement that Cubicle 7 would no longer be publishing either The One Ring or Adventures in Middle Earth.

"We are thrilled to be working with Sophisticated Games and Francesco Nepitello to bring to life a new edition of The One Ring RPG and its 5e iteration," said Free League Publishing CEO Tomas Härenstam in a joint statement. "We grew up with J.R.R. Tolkien's iconic works and we are huge fans of the original version of the game."

"Free League shares all our values," said Robert Hyde, the MD of Sophisticated Games. "Values which are vital in interpreting the most extraordinary fantasy work ever created, one that is of enduring interest throughout the world. With Free League's highly talented team we look forward to a continuation of the games we began a decade ago, with publication of The One Ring."

A full list of upcoming publications will be announced at a later date.