New AAA Lord of the Rings Game Reportedly in Development

There have been a few The Lord of the Rings games over the years — Tales of the Shire, Gollum, and Return to Moria — but none have been as big as the two games from the now-closed studio Monolith Productions. However, it seems like another game is possibly entering that space, according to a new report.

According to Insider Gaming, Crystal Dynamics is working on a Lord of the Rings video game. Little is known about the actual game, but the outlet’s sources say it is being supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and built to “compete with Hogwarts Legacy.” While it reviewed tepidly, Hogwarts Legacy sold over 40 million copies as of December 2025 and gave players a huge explorable world in a beloved franchise.

The ADIO’s backing and Hogwarts Legacy inspiration were part of a prior report, though. The new information is Crystal Dynamics’ involvement, meaning it will be reportedly developing this title in addition to Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst. It’s unclear when this Lord of the Rings game is coming out, but it is apparently still “a bit away.” Given how the team is making two other large titles, that checks out.

There Is Another Lord of the Rings Game Reportedly in Development, Too

This is not to be confused with another Lord of the Rings rumor running the rounds now. According to Polish industry veteran Ryszard Chojnowski, Kingdom Come: Deliverance developer Warhorse Studios is also making a Lord of the Rings game. Embracer Group owns Warhorse as well as the Lord of the Rings franchise, so when combined Warhorse’s expertise with medieval games, it seems like a natural fit. However, Insider Gaming’s sources say Warhorse could be making another Lord of the Rings game, but, if it is, it isn’t related to Crystal Dynamics’.

Crystal Dynamics has been going through some dark times as of late. Marvel’s Avengers was widely viewed as a disappointment and poor fit for the studio’s expertise, both of which publisher Square Enix later admitted to. The developer also went through at least five rounds of layoffs in the years following that turbulent launch with the most recent one coming in late March 2026. Legacy of Atlantis, the second remake of the first Tomb Raider, is slated for sometime in 2026, while Catalyst is supposedly launching in 2027, which, including the rumored Lord of the Rings game, is a lot for a team that has been severely downsized.

Console and PC Lord of the Rings games have also not had the best run in the last few years. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was unanimously panned and led to Daedelic Entertainment shutting down its development wing after the game bombed. Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria — a cozy game and mining survival game, respectively — both released to lukewarm to poor reviews. An MMORPG from Amazon Games was also reportedly canceled.

Lord of the Rings’ previous success in the video game space came from Monolith’s aforementioned Middle-earth series, something many players are likely clamoring for with this alleged Crystal Dynamics title. These big action RPGs had a frenetic Batman: Arkham-like combat system and also utilizing the innovative Nemesis system that had enemies who remembered the player, leading to highly personalized and dynamic playthroughs. Shadow of War, the 2017 sequel, wasn’t always as beloved because of its heavy use of microtransactions, but sentiment for that game has come around in recent years since those elements were eventually patched out, allowing for the title’s systemic nature to shine more brightly.

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