Wētā Workshop and Private Division’s Tales of the Shire is shaping up as the ideal Lord of the Rings game to play curled up with a Nintendo Switch. So, is Tales of the Shire coming to Nintendo Switch?
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Is Tales of the Shire Releasing on Nintendo Switch?
Yep, Tales of the Shire will drop on the Nintendo Switch, as well as on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Private Division is yet to announce the game’s exact release date, however, it’s slated to hit shelves and virtual stores sometime in 2024. Unlike another recent Middle-earth title, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, there’s currently no indication that the PC and console versions of Tales of the Shire will launch separately.
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So, what can you expect when Tales of the Shire finally arrives? The game’s official website puts a heavy emphasis on player freedom. Tales of the Shire‘s Hobbit player character’s appearance and attire are fully customizable. The same goes for the furniture in their Hobbit holes, which you’ll be able to position in grid-free environments. Food and cooking also factor heavily into Tales of the Shire‘s gameplay, as does exploration of the game’s Bywater setting.
Are Any Lord of the Rings Characters in Tales of the Shire?
Yes – although Wētā Workshop and Private Division aren’t saying which ones. The Tales of the Shire website promises that “iconic characters” and “familiar faces” will show up in the game, leaving us to guess who they’re referring to. We don’t even know when Tales of the Shire takes place, making it even harder to narrow down which Lord of the Rings heroes and villains are included in the game.
Related: Why Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Isn’t on Steam
The Hobbits didn’t found the Shire itself until Middle-earth’s Third Age, so Tales of the Shire can’t take place any earlier. That still leaves over 1,000 years’ worth of timeline to whittle down – and that’s before we consider the Fourth Age! Yet Private Division labeling Tales of the Shire‘s cameo characters “iconic” means it’ll likely unfold in the late Third Age/early Fourth Age, to accommodate walk-on parts for Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, and the like.
Tales of the Shire arrives on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows in 2024.
