Amazon is working on a new Lord of the Rings MMO and they’re still figuring out how to make it unique, according to Christoph Hartmann.
Last year, Amazon Games teamed up with Embracer Group to create this new game. This announcement came after Amazon’s previous partnership with Leyou fell through when Tencent bought Leyou. The rights then reverted back to Middle-Earth Enterprises, who eventually partnered with Embracer Group.
Although they announced the game last year, Hartmann recently told IGN that the game is still in its early stages. The team is currently trying to find a unique angle for the project.
“We’re still trying to find the hook, find that idea of what it is because we don’t just want to go and do the same thing over,” Hartmann said. “While it’s tempting sometimes with an existing IP, that’s not the point of doing it.”
He emphasized that they need a “fresh twist” to set their game apart from others.
Considering there’s already a long-standing Lord of the Rings MMO from 2007 called The Lord of the Rings Online, which still gets updates, his comments make sense.
Amazon Games has been making waves in the MMO world. They released New World in 2021 and are planning a console and PC re-release called New World: Aeternum. They’ve also brought Korean MMOs like Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty to Western players.
Fans often wonder how developers manage these huge projects.
In his interview, Hartmann mentioned that making MMOs is tough because they are costly to maintain and need constant new content to keep players happy. He called MMO players “a very dedicated audience” who spend many hours playing.
Hartmann added that Amazon is moving beyond just MMOs. For example, they recently announced King of Meat, an action-RPG game. He also mentioned that AI could help speed up game development and reduce costs but won’t solve everything.
This isn’t Hartmann’s first time talking about their new Lord of the Rings MMO. He once said it would be like going from “black and white movies to color,” compared to LOTRO, which he acknowledged as a decent game but thinks players will eventually move on from it.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is gearing up for its second season, which will explore Sauron’s past. However, this show won’t be linked to Amazon’s new MMO project.
