Video game developer Private Division has announced that it is partnering with Wētā Workshop to produce a video game set in Middle-earth. It is due to be released in 2024.
Private Division, a video-game publisher responsible for bringing forward games including OlliOlli World, Hades and The Outer Worlds, is partnering with Weta Workshop to produce a video game set in Middle-earth. The announcement makes no reference to The Lord of the Rings story, so presumably is not looking directly at the story and perhaps into the Appendices. In the announcement they say: “Middle-earth Enterprises have licensed the literary works of the series, providing Wētā Workshop with the broadest creative license to interpret the underlying lore of the books.”
Wētā Workshop created a video-game division in 2014, and they are well-known as the creative effects company that made a name for themselves working on The Lord of the Rings film series.
“We are thrilled to partner with Wētā Workshop to publish a game set in such an extraordinary and celebrated universe,” said Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer, Take-Two Interactive, and Head of Private Division. “The Lord of the Rings IP is home to so many remarkable stories, and no entity is better equipped than the team at Wētā Workshop to create a distinctive, new Middle-earth gaming experience.”
“It’s a privilege to create a new game set in Middle-earth, especially one that’s so different from what fans have played previously,” said Amie Wolken, Head of Interactive at Wētā Workshop. “As fans ourselves, we’re excited for gamers to explore Middle-earth in a way they never have before, and introduce new fans to the magic of The Lord of the Rings.”
