The 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?
Private Division is yet to announce an exact release date for Tales of the Shire. That said, the publisher has confirmed the game is slated to ship sometime in 2024. It also appears that the PC and console versions will drop simultaneously, unlike North Beach Games’ 2023 Middle-earth title, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. That game was plagued by a staggered release schedule, with the Xbox Series X/S version still yet to arrive.
Part of the reason for Return to Moria‘s disjointed debut was apparently scope creep. 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, Private Division conceived of Tales of the Shire as a cross-platform title early on. This should allow developer Wētā Workshop to avoid 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.”
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 in 2024.
