Amazon Games’ ambitious Lord of the Rings MMO has reportedly been cancelled, marking yet another troubled chapter in the company’s long running attempts to break into the MMORPG market.
According to a new report from Eurogamer, the unannounced cancellation happened quietly behind the scenes after years of uncertain development. While Amazon has not directly confirmed the project’s closure, recent statements from company leadership strongly suggest the original MMO vision is no longer moving forward.
The project was first officially announced in 2023 as a large scale online RPG set in Tolkien’s Middle earth universe. Amazon Games said at the time that the title would feature an open world interpretation of Middle earth with familiar locations, creatures, and stories inspired by The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
The game was being developed internally by Amazon Games Orange County, the same studio behind New World. However, reports now suggest the project struggled to gain momentum for years, with only a relatively small team attached during much of its development cycle before staffing changes later expanded production.
The reported cancellation appears to come during a wider restructuring period for Amazon Games. Over the last few years, the company has faced layoffs, project cancellations, and growing questions surrounding the future of its MMO strategy.
Amazon Games vice president Jeff Grattis recently issued a carefully worded statement discussing the future of Middle earth projects at the company. Rather than referencing the MMO directly, Grattis stated that Amazon’s teams are still “exploring a compelling new game experience that does justice to Tolkien’s world.”
That wording has led many to believe Amazon may still be interested in developing a Lord of the Rings game, but potentially on a much smaller scale than a fully fledged MMO.
If true, this would actually be Amazon’s second failed attempt at bringing a Lord of the Rings online game to life. A previous MMO project announced in 2019 collapsed due to licensing complications following Tencent’s acquisition of Leyou Technologies.
The cancellation also raises new concerns about Amazon’s future in the MMO space overall. New World launched with enormous player numbers in 2021, but the game struggled to maintain momentum over the following years despite major updates and expansions.
For now, Middle earth fans are once again left waiting to see whether another developer will eventually take on the challenge of creating a large scale online RPG set in Tolkien’s universe.
