When Does Tales of the Shire Come Out?

Upcoming Lord of the Rings game Tales of the Shire promises fans the ultimate cozy Hobbit life simulation experience. Here’s what you need to know about when Tales of the Shire is coming out.

Does Tales of the Shire Have a Release Date?

Tales of the Shire is slated for release on March 25, 2025. Wētā Workshop was originally targeting a 2024 release window, however, the developer later confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the game would ship in early 2025, instead. On the plus side, it appears the PC and console versions will arrive simultaneously, with Wētā’s release date reveal video confidently proclaiming Tales of the Shire will “arrive everywhere” next March. This stands in stark contrast to another recent Middle-earth title, 2023 survival-crafting effort The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. That game suffered staggered release schedule, with the Xbox Series X/S port dropping almost a year after the Windows version.

Part of the reason for Return to Moria‘s disjointed debut was apparently scope creep. Publisher North Beach Games only announced the console ports of Return to Moria late in the game’s development cycle, which suggests it was originally a PC-only release. As such, developer Free Range Games presumably didn’t have the resources to get the console versions done in time. Fortunately, Wētā and publisher Private Division conceived of Tales of the Shire as a cross-platform title early on. This should (and seemingly does) mean they’ve avoided a similar deadline bottleneck scenario.

What Can You Expect From Tales of the Shire?

So, what will Tales of the Shire deliver when it finally arrives? The game’s official website talks up its customization options, including the ability to “[p]ersonalise your appearance and brandish your best Hobbit attire.” Players’ Hobbit-hole homes will boast similar freedom via a “grid-free placement” system for arranging “furniture home décor.”

Related: Is Tales of the Shire Coming to Nintendo Switch?

The Tales of the Shire website also promotes the game’s farming and cooking mechanics – you can even throw virtual dinner parties! Exploration is a major part of the gameplay experience, as well. This aspect of the game will include a trading system, with “iconic characters and familiar Hobbit families” among those you can trade with.

Tales of the Shire arrives on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows on March 25, 2025.

The above article was updated on 10/1/2024 by the original author to include new information about Tales of the Shire.