Last year, Amazon Games was plagued by a wave of layoffs that had many fans fearing the worst when it came to the Lord of the Rings MMO. While it was never truly confirmed that the game was cancelled following the layoffs, the radio silence from Amazon spoke volumes. Further fuel was added to that fire as comments from Amazon’s Head of Games, Jeff Grattis, gave some word that may cause some unrest in the fanbase straight from Middle-earth.
From the Shire with Love
A new report was provided by Eurogamer, where Jeff Grattis provided context as to where Amazon games currently stand when it comes to the Lord of the Rings IP. While he didn’t exactly provide the exact words of enlightenment fans would’ve hoped for, I do think these words suggest, while it may not be the MMO, something at the very least, Lord of the Rings-related is cooking.
“Our creative team continues to explore a compelling new game experience that does justice to Tolkien’s world; we are working closely with Middle-earth and remain excited about the IP.” The response given here was tied directly to a question that pertained to the Lord of the Rings MMO and whether it was shelved or not. This quote not only shows you how fluid the gaming industry is but adds more salt to the wound, as a former dismissed employee said that the game would’ve been “something special.”
One Game to Rule Them All
It was back in 2023 when the Lord of the Rings MMO was first announced, but since then, the game has gone silent on all fronts, even after the wave of layoffs. Despite the words mentioned earlier, Eurogamer’s source says the only developers left in the MMO space over at Amazon Games are working on Lost Ark, Throne and Liberty, and New World. So, as you can see, until we get concrete proof of a game existing, things remain bleak for The Lord of the Rings and Amazon Games.
