Amazon has cancelled its second try at making a Lord of the Rings online role-playing game (MMO), and recent layoffs at Amazon Games are the reason. Ashleigh Amrine, a former engineer on the project, shared the news on LinkedIn, explaining that she and other team members lost their jobs (according to Rock Paper Shotgun). This follows Amazon’s earlier decision to stop developing its other MMO, New World, although that game’s servers will continue to run until 2026.
Amrine shared in a post yesterday that it’s difficult to see this team facing challenges. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to have worked with such talented, innovative, and supportive developers.
The upcoming Lord of the Rings online game, first revealed in 2023, has been cancelled. Amazon had teamed up with Embracer Group, which owns the rights to the world of Middle-earth, to create what was described as a large, ongoing adventure covering the stories of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, very little information about the game was ever released, and the project won’t be moving forward. This is the second time Amazon has tried and failed to create a Lord of the Rings MMO; their first attempt fell apart in 2021 after a disagreement with their partner, Leyou, who were then acquired by Tencent.
Last August, Christoph Hartmann, VP at Amazon Games, explained that one of the biggest hurdles in creating a Lord of the Rings MMO was finding a unique angle. They didn’t want to just copy existing games, as the long-running The Lord of the Rings Online (launched in 2007 and still updated) already covers that ground. Hartmann also pointed out that MMOs are difficult to develop because they are costly and require a constant stream of new content to keep players engaged—a significant investment, even for a large company like Amazon.
Hartmann also noted that Amazon Games is broadening its focus beyond just large, online multiplayer games (MMOs). They’re now looking at other types of games, like action RPGs, as seen with the new release, King of Meat. Separately, the TV show The Rings of Power is still being made, with the next season detailing how Sauron gained power. This shows Amazon still has plans for Middle-earth, but not through an MMO game.
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2025-10-30 17:44