There's A New Lord Of The Rings Game On The Way, But Don't Get Too Excited
We already know about Lord of the Rings game on the horizon which focuses on Gollum, but Warner Bros has revealed that another is in development as well. Dubbed The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War, Warner Bros has confirmed that it's partnered with NetEase for this new mobile title – yes, this isn't a big-budget console or PC game. For that reason, it's probably best not to get too excited about this game just yet.
Little is know about Rise to War at this point, so perhaps we can give it the benefit of the doubt here at this early stage. In its announcement, NetEase says that the game is set during the Third Age of Middle-earth, and while that covers a very large period of time in The Lord of the Rings mythos, it's safe to assume that this takes place during the War of the Ring.
Interestingly, NetEase says the game is based on Tolkien's books, not Peter Jackson's movies, so we probably shouldn't expect to see famous characters as they were portrayed in the film trilogy. We should still see those characters though, as Rise to War promises "iconic characters and locations from the original trilogy."
We are pleased to announce our collaboration with NetEase, Inc. on the mobile game development of The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War. Set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, this latest mobile strategy game will feature iconic characters and locations from the original trilogy. pic.twitter.com/2cwlnmiFtL
— Warner Bros. Games (@wbgames) June 15, 2020
Rise to War is billed as a "mobile strategy game," but what that means at this point is unknown. On Twitter, WB Games shared a single piece of artwork for the game, which shows the armies of Mordor attacking the city of Minas Tirith – an iconic battle from The Return of the King.
There's no release date yet, so this game could still be early along in development. We'll keep an eye out for more on Rise to War, but given that it's a mobile game, a lot of gamers may not have high hopes for this title.