The video game industry, right now, is on the search for titles that will perform well internationally, across all demographics. Put simply, major studios are looking for those household names, the kinds of franchises that most people would have heard of at some time. For those companies that are also involved in the movie-making business, there’s an added benefit to this drive towards IP dominating the space. Because it provides a chance for those studios to add value and bring new eyes to any cinematic universe, with a video game expansion showing that these stories can work in any medium. For Warner Bros. Games, a clear statement has been made about the company’s future strategy as it relates to its slate.
With mass layoffs, games getting canceled, and new teams taking shape, Warner Bros. Games has completely restructured its divisions to ensure that four key franchises are being catered to. The first is Mortal Kombat, which has a cinematic sequel still to debut and carries a wealth of history on consoles. Then there’s Harry Potter, which will soon be reinforced with Hogwarts Legacy 2 and the HBO reboot. Plus, Warner Bros. has DC Comics, having strengthened that IP with the Arkham series and Injustice games. Finally, Warner Bros. has secured further commitment to Game of Thrones as a video game property with Game of Thrones: War for Westeros set to debut and more likely in the works. But, from that list, there’s obviously a major title still missing.
Lord of the Rings Has Performed Admirably For Warner Bros. In the Past
The Series Has Been Ignored In This New Franchise-Focused Slate
Somehow, despite being a significant weapon in Warner Bros. Games’ arsenal, The Lord of the Rings has been largely ignored. That really is strange, as the franchise has mass appeal on consoles. In recent years, there’s been a renewed interest in the property, and while it was Amazon Prime that first aired The Rings of Power, it was Warner Bros. who soon followed up with an anime adaptation of the source material of their own, in the form of The War of the Rohirrim. That’s not to mention the cinematic slate that’s being planned, and there will be more on that later.
But, in recent years, that focus should surely translate into new video game titles getting added to Warner Bros.’ plans. What’s perhaps even stranger is that The Lord of the Rings has already proven itself to be an admirable performer on consoles. The series has a long history of adapting its cinematic narratives, in titles that recapture that magic, putting players directly in the action.
Indeed, fans will have fond memories of fighting the Balrog, surviving Sauron, and attempting to resist the effects of the One Ring, as they battled through a trilogy of titles and many more spinoffs. The Lord of the Rings showed that it was perfect in an AAA, action-adventure RPG setting, and there was no shortage of reinterpretations of that formula. But it didn’t stop there.
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The Lord of the Rings was a property with such potential that it was granted to a range of major studios, each of which put their own spin on proceedings. Just take The Lord of the Rings Online, for instance, which indicates just how perfect Middle-earth was for an MMORPG setting. Or perhaps look towards Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle-earth I and II, where players command major factions like the Elves, Rohan, or Dwarves, and then battle one another in a strategic series which is just as much about fortress building as it is trading barbs in minor skirmishes.
Again and again, The Lord of the Rings has shown that, unlike other movie or novel series, there is versatility to be explored here. Maybe that’s what is so frustrating about this recent announcement from Warner Bros. Games, because despite having such a fantastic property that holds significant value among players within this medium, the executives making these decisions seem to be overlooking a major IP.
The Lord of the Rings could be a big money-spinner for Warner Bros., plain and simple, but it’s also one that has provided unforgettable gaming moments for players. It seems a great shame that this series is now being guarded from players, and while recent titles like The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria or Gollum might have failed to capture the imagination of players, that isn’t to say that with the right team, this series couldn’t thrive again.
Tales of the Shire Is an Experiment In the Unknown
The Wētā Spinoff Will Show Warner Bros. Whether There Is Interest In the Series
Right now, as this is written, Amazon is working on a Middle-earth-inspired MMO which could change everything fans know about gaming in the world of The Lord of the Rings. But there have been very few previews for what this title may look like, and Amazon itself has even less experience developing games. So, this is very much an experiment in the making, and Warner Bros. will likely be keeping a keen eye on how this property performs.
Perhaps the studio views this as competition, which is why the company is holding off on developing another Lord of the Rings game of its own. And that isn’t the only Middle-earth title being developed by a studio other than Warner Bros. Because, with permissions granted by Middle-earth Enterprises, Wētā Workshop is also about to launch a Lord of the Rings title that is unlike anything fans have seen before.
Titled Tales of the Shire, the game will feature some classic characters like Gandalf, but will be more dedicated to giving players the full-on Hobbit experience. Set within the titular Shire, players will be designing their Hobbit homes, eating a lot, fishing, farming, getting to know the community, and essentially getting involved with whatever Hobbits happen to do in their day-to-day lives. Designed to be the ultimate cozy title and aimed at an extensive target audience that includes book readers and a market blooming with non-combat titles, Tales of the Shire has the potential to be a sellout.
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This could genuinely be the sleeper hit that no one is expecting, rivaling Nintendo’s Animal Crossing franchise as a heartfelt and warm title that has massive potential. If, once again, Middle-earth shows that it works within yet another alternative genre, then Warner Bros. Games will have to pay attention. Because they can take advantage of the success that the IP might experience in the field.
The company is undoubtedly following the progress of this title with a keen interest, and when it goes to launch on Jul. 29, 2025, fans will be able to make their verdict. Warner Bros. Games is a very reactive company, as has been highlighted by their response to the DC Comics property as of late, as they continue to change track to try and move away from the failures of Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
Perhaps those two Lord of the Rings games will be enough to kickstart the studio and ensure that they view this property as one of the big 5, alongside Harry Potter, DC Comics, Game of Thrones, and Mortal Kombat. It would be in the studio’s best interest, especially since it wasn’t that long ago that they achieved significant success in their own right.
Middle-earth Is About To Have a Major On-Screen Presence
So Much Can Be Learned From the Success of the Shadows Saga
It’s no secret that The Lord of the Rings is beginning to become a viable cinematic property again. Although recent projects haven’t fared quite as well as studios may have hoped, The Hunt for Gollum is set to be a triumphant return to the big screen, starring many of the major names that fans are familiar with. But Warner Bros. is falling into the trap that it has so often been ensnared in before, which is assuming audiences are only interested in a property if they are tied in for nostalgia purposes.
Reviving the same characters or retreading the same beats isn’t always the wisest path forward. Warner Bros. gaming division has often been a resource to explore what the franchise looks like away from those roots, and the Middle-earth: Shadows of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadows of War saga was, without a doubt, one of the best examples of that. Sure, it broke continuity and introduced a new character, but fans fell in love with Talion and this original narrative.
Backed by the incredible Nemesis System, which allowed the development team to actually innovate, this series has been the benchmark moving forward for what the IP can do when given the chance. So much can be learned from this, and the Shadows series should have been what Arkham was for DC Comics.
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Yet, in 2025, the studio is still ignoring what can be done, despite all the signs pointing towards the franchise’s potential. So, to sum it up, Warner Bros. is facing cinematic and gaming competition from Amazon, adding to the IP’s appeal, while also keeping an eye on Tales of the Shire, which could drum up further interest in the franchise within this medium.
They also want to increase interest in The Lord of the Rings on the big screen in their own right with The Hunt For Gollum. Despite all this, they haven’t got a video game strategy of their own to work through. Quite frankly, whoever made that choice is a fool of a Took.
- Created by
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- First Film
- The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
- Latest Film
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- Upcoming Films
- The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim
