A free-to-play Middle-earth MMO is in the works

A Free-To-Play Middle-Earth MMO is in the works

A free-to-play Middle-earth MMO is in the works

Athlon Games, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited, has announced that they are now working on a free-to-play Massively Multiplayer Online game that is based within the Lord of the Rings universe. 

Set in Middle-earth, the MMORPG will be based before the events of the Lord of the Rings book/film series, giving players the opportunity to explore the Tolkien universe. Strangely, this announcement comes while Lord of the Rings Online remains active, offering the potential for two Lord of the Rings-themed MMOs to exist at the same time. 

Athlon Games was formed earlier this year by Leyou Technologies, the owners of Digital Extremes, the creators of Warframe, and Splash Damage, a UK-based studio that has worked on Gears of War 4, Dirty Bomb and Batman: Arkham Origins. Athlon Games is based in Burbank California and has offices in both London and Beijing.

Detailed information about the MMO is scarce, but the game seems to be in development for both PC and consoles. The new Lord of the Rings MMO has no confirmed name or release date.  

   Athlon Games, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (Leyou Technologies), is a global publisher of free-to-play console and PC games headquartered in Los Angeles.

Athlon Games combines its expertise in free-to-play console and PC games with Western development to create AAA cooperative console and PC experiences that gamers will want to play for many years. With our technical know-how and expertise in free-to-play game development and publishing, which has seen success with the Group’s other game titles such as Warframe, the Board believes that the development and publishing of this new title based on The Lord of the Rings will help further the Group’s goal of creating top quality console and PC games that have global appeal and expand the Group’s footprint in the West. In light of the resurgence of interest in The Lord of the Rings IP, the Board expects that this good opportunity to work with Middle-earth Enterprises will generate more revenue for the Group and create more values for the shareholders of the Company. Accordingly, the Board is of the view that the development and publishing of this new title based on The Lord of the Rings is in the interest of the Company and its shareholders as a whole.

 

A Free-To-Play Middle-Earth MMO is in the works  

You can join the discussion on Athlon Games’ planned Lord of the Rings/Middle Earth MMO on the OC3D Forums.Â