Lord of the Rings MMO cancelled by Amazon

According to a report by Bloomberg, the upcoming Lord of the Rings MMO by Amazong and Leyou Technologies has been cancelled.

In the report, Bloomberg details how Tencents purchase of Leyou Technologies at the end of last year put the project at risk. A contract dispute between Amazon and Tencent led Amazon to cancel the project completely. 

Announced in September 2018, the Lord of the Rings MMO would have let players explore a digital recreation of Middle-Earth set long before the events of the book. 

It was Amazon’s aim to create an MMO that would follow in the footsteps of other live-service titles like The Elder Scrolls Online and Final Fantasy XIV.

Report

Bloomberg spoke with several individuals close to the studio which had the following to say about the news: “We love the Lord of the Rings IP, and are disappointed that we won’t be bringing this game to customers.”

The Lord of the Rings MMO - not to be confused with Lord of the Rings Online - would have explored lands, people and creatures which have never been seen before by fans of the series. 

Unfortunately, a spokesperson for Amazon confirmed the cancellation while speaking to Bloomberg: “We have been unable to secure terms to proceed with this title at this time.”

LOTR Resurgence 

The cancelled Lord of the Rings MMO was just one of many projects in development for the Tolkien brand. 

LOTR: Gollum was announced last year and is in development under Daedalic Entertainment, the team behind Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. The Gollum focused game follows the monstrous character on a “perilous journey”.

Amazon is devoloping a new Lords of the Rings TV show. It will reportedly cost the company over $485million for the first season alone, making it one of the most expensive TV show ever.

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