Private Division and Wētā Workshop promise a new way to explore Middle-earth in a cosy new Lord of the Rings game, Tales of the Shire.
To celebrate Hobbit Day, Wētā Workshop and Private Division have announced a brand new The Lord of the Rings game. Titled Tales of the Shire, the announcement came with a brief teaser trailer.
The trailer features an artist painting a hobbit in a book in watercolours. On the table, you’ve got some headphones and little bits and bobs… Actually, just take a look at the teaser trailer for Tales of the Shire below yourself.
Well, that was charming, wasn’t it? We know very little about Tales of the Shire at the moment, except that it’s coming sometime in 2024 and that it will be available on PC and consoles, which is shaping to be a pretty good year for games.
We hate to speculate, but could this really be the game so many of us have been waiting for? One where you simply exist as a Hobbit and look after your little house and garden and feast on a second breakfast every day?
The official synopsis seems to promise as much: “Your cosy Hobbit life awaits in Tales of the Shire, a heart-warming new The Lord of the Rings game by Wētā Workshop and Private Division.”
We are disappointed there’s no specific mention of second breakfasts. A New LOTR game was announced back in 2022, but this is the first time we have any actual details on it.
“The Lord of the Rings IP is home to so many remarkable stories, and no entity is better equipped than the team at Wētā Workshop to create a distinctive, new Middle-earth gaming experience,” said Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer, Take-Two Interactive, and Head of Private Division back in 2022.
“It’s a privilege to create a new game set in Middle-earth, especially one that’s so different from what fans have played previously,” echoed Amie Wolken, Head of Interactive at Wētā Workshop.
“As fans ourselves, we’re excited for gamers to explore Middle-earth in a way they never have before, and introduce new fans to the magic of The Lord of the Rings.”
Tales of the Shire follows the release of Gollum earlier this year. Needless to say, Gollum wasn’t exactly our dream LOTR game and the studio behind the game, Daedalic Entertainment, has since stopped any active development on it.