Crystal Dynamics, the tenured studio currently developing the Tomb Raider franchise, is reportedly working on yet another project: a major adaptation of The Lord of the Rings that could be an open world adventure, in the vein of Hogwarts Legacy.
The report comes from Insider Gaming, which previously noted a new Lord of the Rings game was in development between the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Embracer Group, parent company of Crystal Dynamics.
Now, the website reports that Crystal Dynamics is at the helm.
New Lord of the Rings video game – quick links
Crystal Dynamics rumoured to be working on new game
Per sources speaking to Insider Gaming, this new Lord of the Rings video game has ample backing from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, with around US$100 million reportedly provided to support development. Insider Gaming additionally reports that the project has been in development for quite some time, although its release remains a ‘bit away’, likely due to the scale of the project.
At this stage, Crystal Dynamics has declined to comment on this report, and nothing is certain – but should the studio be working on a new Lord of the Rings game, it would certainly have plenty on its plate.
Crystal Dynamics is currently working on two major Tomb Raider games at once, Legacy of Atlantis and Catalyst. As announced, Legacy of Atlantis is a major remake of the original Tomb Raider game, while Catalyst is an all-new adventure taking place in Northern India and following threads from Tomb Raider: Underworld.
Should the studio be working on this reported Lord of the Rings game, that would be the third major project under its wing.
What could the new Lord of the Rings game look like?
Should Insider Gaming‘s report prove accurate, particularly on details that Crystal Dynamics is inspired by Hogwarts Legacy to create an open world-style Lord of the Rings action-adventure game, there would certainly be eyes on what comes next.
The Lord of the Rings has had mixed success with video games lately, but fans of the franchise have a very soft spot for previous open world adventure game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and its sequel. While focused solely on Mordor as a battleground, this franchise presented an exploration of series lore with enough freedom and adventure to endear it to long-time fans.
Shadow of Mordor offered much in the way of unique story and characters, telling a non-canon tale that still fit into the world of Lord of the Rings, while being entirely its own thing.
A new open world adventure, possibly with a scope as large as Hogwarts Legacy, has the potential to explore the deeper parts of the Lord of the Rings universe, allowing players to be transported to world that remains well-loved.
Given the prowess of Crystal Dynamics, particularly when it comes to lively, compelling worlds such as those of Tomb Raider, it feels like the studio would be well-positioned to bring this idea to life.
For now, Crystal Dynamics has declined to comment on Insider Gaming‘s report, and we know very little about what’s actually in store. While it’s more than likely that Embracer Group has some new Lord of the Rings projects in development, we’ll just have to wait to see what’s planned for the future.
