Following a wave of rumors about the complete cancellation of its ambitious project set in the universe of J. R. R. Tolkien, Amazon Games management has provided partial clarification regarding the future of the franchise.
Although the fate of the previously announced MMO remains unclear, the company officially confirmed that it is continuing to work on games set in the world of The Lord of the Rings.
Jeff Grubbis, head of Amazon’s gaming division, told Eurogamer that he would not use the word “cancellation,” but hinted at a shift in the project’s direction. Instead of directly confirming the MMO’s status, he focused on the team’s new creative approach.
“Our creative team continues to explore exciting new gameplay experiences that fit Tolkien’s world; we are working closely with Middle-earth and remain passionate about this intellectual property.”
Rumors about the project’s closure began spreading late last year following reports on social media about mass layoffs at Amazon Games. The cuts reportedly affected the team working on the Lord of the Rings project directly.
According to Eurogamer’s sources, the only Amazon Games specialists still actively working in the MMO segment are currently focused on supporting Lost Ark, Throne and Liberty, and New World — at least until the latter’s eventual shutdown. However, the future of these teams also remains uncertain.
As a reminder, plans were recently unveiled for the construction of the 25,000-seat London Colosseum esports arena in the United Kingdom.
