Amazon Game Studios Axes Lord Of The Rings MMO As List Of Cancelled Games Grows
We have bad news for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings franchise. Remember the Lord of the Rings MMORPG that Amazon Game Studios announced it was co-developing two years ago? Sadly, the project has been cancelled, with Lord of the Rings becoming the latest casualty from Amazon's troubled game studio.
Amazon revealed in October 2019 that it was working with Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited and Middle-earth Enterprises on the Lord of the Rings MMO. It promised to give fans a "new, immersive game experience for epic exploration of the vast world of Tolkien," with versions planned for both PC and game consoles.
"The collaboration brings together Amazon’s game technology and talented MMO developers, and Leyou’s expertise in designing free-to-play games and operating live-service games," Amazon said at the time.
Things turned sideways, however, after Chinese behemoth Tencent acquired Leyou Technologies. Citing people who are familiar with the matter, Bloomberg says Amazon and Tencent could not come to terms on subsequent contract negotiations, leading to a dispute between the two firms that ultimately killed the project.
"We have been unable to secure terms to proceed with this title at this time," an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to the site. "We love the Lord of the Rings IP, and are disappointed that we won't be bringing this game to customers."
That's too bad. Amazon had also teamed up with Athlon Games, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies, to develop the title as a prequel, set in Middle-earth. Now apparently it is not going to happen, not unless contract negotiations kick back up. We'd be surprised if that happened, and more likely the Lord of the Rings cancellation will stand.
This also does not bode well for Amazon's gaming division, which has not launched a game in around seven years. In March 2018, Amazon Game Studios cancelled Breakaway, a team-based multi-player brawler. Then in October of last year, it shut the door on Crucible, a free-to-play shooter in the style of Overwatch.
Thumbnail/Top Image Source: Warner Bros.
