In the Lord of the Rings series, Electronic Arts haven’t reduced it to a series of loot boxes and hat-collecting games like many others. I simply didn’t have the time because Tolkien’s heirs became bogged down in negotiations with Warner Bros. and Amazon
The world has changed. A couple of years ago, Christopher Tolkien, the actual co-author of Tolkien’s works and the man who held the rights to the entire universe in his iron grip, passed away. Warner has merged with Discovery and intends to exit the game development business entirely. The heirs of Middle-earth Enterprises were liberated and actively engaged in the licensing business.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that Electronic Arts was the first company to arrive at the newly opened table: the company announced Heroes of Middle-earth, a mobile RPG strategy collectible game. Capital Games, which is best known for the turn-based mobile tactics game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, will be in charge of the project’s development. Because there are no film rights available, the characters will be given new skins.
We have a sneaking suspicion that the Heroes of Middle-earth teaser is only the beginning of things. A few days earlier, the licensors staged a brawl with fans of the Lord of the Rings franchise in New York City. It was the mod for Total War: Rise of Mordor that was the first and most prominent victim of copycats. Most of the time, such preparations are carried out prior to the announcement of new major projects or initiatives.