Publisher EA, its Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes developer Capital Games, and Middle-earth Enterprises are partnering to create The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth — a free-to-play mobile game. The publisher calls the collectible RPG a “strategic, social-competitive experience” that will appeal to both newcomers and fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy franchise. The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth will incorporate turn-based combat, collection systems, and “immersive storytelling,” with players able to utilize iconic characters as they fight through authentic Middle-earth stories.
EA’s vice president of mobile RPG, Malachi Boyle, said the partnership will see Capital kicking off “the next generation of mobile role-playing games.” He further added, “The team is filled with fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and each day they bring their tremendous passion and talents together to deliver an authentic experience for players. The combination of high-fidelity graphics, cinematic animations, and stylized art immerses players in the fantasy of Middle-earth where they’ll go head-to-head with their favorite characters.”
EA developed acclaimed Lord of the Rings games in the early-to-mid 2000s, such as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. However, the publisher’s involvement with the series ceased with the release of The Lord of the Rings: Conquest in 2009. Today’s reestablished partnership with Middle-earth Enterprises is a long time coming, even if it may not be in the capacity fans had hoped for.
Mobile RPG The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth doesn’t have a release window yet, but a limited regional beta test is set to begin this summer. Stay tuned for more information on how EA plans to expand Tolkien’s universe.
