The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria was first announced in 2022 and got its first gameplay trailer at this year’s Summer Game Fest. At that reveal, the developers told expecting fans that The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria was slated to release on PlayStation 5 and PC on October 24, 2023. Now, just five days before release, the team at Free Range Games has announced that it will be pushing back the game’s release on PS5. PC players should still be able to pick up Return to Moria via the Epic Games Store on the original date, but PS5 users are going to have to wait a few more months.
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Free Range Games and Return to Moria‘s publisher North Beach Games announced that the game is coming, both digitally and physically, on December 5, 2023. The devs said the delay will give them more time “to improve various aspects of the PS5 version, and to ensure [they] can deliver the highest possible quality for PlayStation gamers.” All told, that’s a reasonable reason for pushing the game, and given how short the delay is, it’s probably not something to get too worried about.
Of course, while this news is targeted toward PS5 players, it could also signify something for Xbox Series X/S players. That version of the game was originally slated for early 2024. It’s possible this delay won’t affect that version, but we also might see the Xbox version pushed back a few weeks or so depending on how development goes.
What is The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria?
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria puts players in the shoes of a group of dwarves trying to take back their homeland and restore the ancient kingdom of Khazad-dรปm. The game uses a procedurally generated version of Moria to keep things fresh, and players need to use a mix of survival and crafting mechanics to survive. That means they’ll be building tools, weapons, and shelters for their dwarves, while also fighting off orcs, cave trolls, and all kinds of other beasties.ย
Importantly, you’ll be able to team up with up to eight other players in your quest in cooperative multiplayer. In many ways, it almost seems like a more medieval take on Deep Rock Galactic. Obviously, with The Lord of the Rings license, there are several differences from that hit game, but it certainly feels like the team took inspiration from Ghost Ship Games’ hit game.
As far as the IP timeline goes, Return to Moria is set during the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, just after the events of The Lord of the Rings. That means Sauron has been taken down by the Fellowship, and players will get to see how that affects the orc population in Moria.ย
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria launches on PC on October 24. It will then come to PS5 on December 5 and Xbox Series X/S sometime next year.
