Amazon Pulls the Plug on the New Lord of the Rings MMO
Amazon has canceled its long-awaited Lord of the Rings MMO, leaving fans of Middle-earth disheartened once again. The decision comes amid massive layoffs across the company, impacting over 14,000 corporate positions worldwide. This marks the second time Amazon has abandoned a Lord of the Rings project, following an earlier failed attempt in 2019.
According to reports, the company’s restructuring—driven by its growing investment in artificial intelligence—has heavily affected Amazon Games, the gaming branch behind titles like New World and Lost Ark.
Inside Amazon’s Strategic Shift
Steve Boom, Senior Vice President of Amazon Entertainment, confirmed that the company has decided to halt first-party AAA development, particularly in the MMO genre.
“While we’re proud of our success in publishing and developing large-scale games, we’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue our internal AAA MMO development,” Boom stated in an internal memo.
The layoffs struck several key studios, including the New World team and the in-progress Lord of the Rings MMO developers. Senior game engineer Ashleigh Amrine expressed her disappointment on LinkedIn, saying:
“I was among those laid off this morning, along with my incredibly talented teammates who were working on New World and the Lord of the Rings MMO. You would have loved this game.”
A History of Failed Ambitions
The canceled project was not Amazon’s first attempt to bring Tolkien’s Middle-earth to life in a massive online world. The company first announced a Lord of the Rings MMO in 2019, developed by Amazon Games Orange County, the team behind New World. However, after less than two years of development, that project was also quietly shelved due to licensing and partnership disputes.
In 2023, Amazon teamed up with Embracer Group, the current rights holder of The Lord of the Rings, for a fresh start. Amazon Games CEO Christoph Hartmann had told media outlets that they wanted to reimagine the concept, not just repeat what was done before:
“We’re still exploring the core idea. Working with an established IP can be tempting, but our goal is to bring a new perspective,” Hartmann explained in 2024.
What the Canceled Game Could Have Been
The MMO was expected to cover events from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, offering players a persistent open-world adventure through Middle-earth. It was described as a next-generation experience that would combine Amazon’s cloud technology with large-scale world-building.
Company spokesperson Brittney Hefner confirmed that while the LOTR project is over, Amazon will continue supporting its existing MMOs:
“We remain committed to our partners and communities around Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty. However, New World: Aeternum will no longer receive new content updates, though servers will stay active until 2026.”
Fans React with Disappointment
The news quickly spread across social media, with many fans expressing frustration over the repeated cancellations. Comments on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) ranged from disbelief to anger:
“Two LOTR MMOs in five years, both canceled. Amazon clearly doesn’t understand what players want.”
“It’s heartbreaking. The world of Middle-earth deserves better than this corporate chaos.”
The silence from both Amazon and Embracer Group has only fueled speculation about the project’s troubled development. Neither company has issued an official statement confirming or denying the cancellation, though multiple insider posts and deleted LinkedIn updates point to a definitive end.
A Troubled Future for Amazon Games
This latest setback raises serious questions about Amazon’s long-term strategy in the gaming sector. Despite substantial investments, the company’s in-house projects have faced repeated delays, leadership changes, and cancellations.
Games like Crucible were shut down shortly after launch, while New World—though initially successful—suffered from declining player numbers and technical issues.
Industry analysts suggest that Amazon may shift toward publishing third-party titles rather than developing its own, leveraging its financial muscle and Prime Gaming platform.
The End of a Dream for Middle-earth MMO Fans
For many Tolkien enthusiasts, this marks the end of a dream to explore Middle-earth in a next-gen online experience. The canceled project had the potential to merge deep lore, modern MMO design, and cutting-edge technology, but the corporate turbulence at Amazon proved too great a hurdle.
While The Lord of the Rings franchise remains active in film and television—thanks to Amazon’s own The Rings of Power series—the gaming adaptation has once again fallen into shadow.
As one former developer poignantly put it:
“We wanted to build something that honored Tolkien’s vision. It’s sad that it won’t see the light of day.”
Conclusion
Amazon’s decision to cancel its Lord of the Rings MMO underscores the uncertainty of big-budget game development, even for tech giants. Fans can still revisit Middle-earth through classics like The Lord of the Rings Online, but hopes for a modern Amazon-backed adventure have faded—at least for now.
Whether the company will attempt another return to Tolkien’s universe remains to be seen, but after two failed attempts, it might be game over for Amazon in Middle-earth.
