Electronic Arts and Middle-earth Enterprises (the folks who handle the majority of the rights for LOTR and The Hobbit) have announced a new mobile game based on Tolkien’s famous fantasy series. They describe it as a “collectible role-playing game” which could mean just about anything. Likely, a mix of gacha and RPG akin to various other games on the market.
The press release continues that the game will “bring the fantasy and adventure of The Lord of the Rings to existing fans and new audiences alike in a strategic, social-competitive experience.” Again, your guess is as good as mine, but it matches up with most of what we’ve seen out of the platform, particularly in the most successful games. It’s worth noting the massive popularity of both mobile games and fantasy universes in much of Asia, especially China.
Malachi Boyle, EA’s man in charge of mobile RPGs, promises a “combination of high-fidelity graphics, cinematic animations, and stylized art” that “immerses players in the fantasy of Middle-earth where they’ll go head-to-head with their favorite characters.”
Development is being handled by Capital Games, an EA internal studio who also made Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. This game will feature “immersive storytelling, turn-based combat, deep collection systems, and a wide roster of characters” and have you “battle through iconic stories.” Pretty similar-sounding, to be honest.
No release date, footage, or a screenshot beyond the above were released. “Limited regional beta testing” will start this summer.
Written by Ben Barrett on behalf of GLHF.
