Independent developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games have announced that The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will be released for the PlayStation 5 and Windows PC via the Epic Games Store on Tuesday, October 24. Described as the first and only survival crafting game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the new game allows players to create a custom dwarf, who must then craft and build their way through the dangers of Khazad-dûm. Return to Moria takes place after the age popularized in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films and novels.
The game will see a physical release for the PS5 at retail on Dec. 5, and is scheduled to release for the Xbox Series X|S console systems in early 2024. Eager adventurers can pre-order the title digitally starting today on PC via the Epic Games Store or wishlist the game on the PlayStation Store for PS5. Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the epic fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria follows the Dwarves as they embark on unique adventures to reclaim and restore their Dwarven homeland of Moria.
The story of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria takes players beyond the books and into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the fantastical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer, players take control of a company of Dwarves tasked to reclaim the lost spoils from the Dwarven homeland of Moria—known as Khazad-dûm or Dwarrowdelf—in the depths below their very feet. Their quest will require fortitude and teamwork, delving deep into the Mines of Moria to recover its treasures and in the hopes of one day restoring them to their former glory.
In The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria players will create their own custom Dwarf before venturing into the cavernous mines of Moria alone or together with a company of fellow Dwarves online. Each adventure into the depths will bring unique challenges and opportunities through the use of procedurally generated environments, creating nearly endless possibilities as players seek the deepest delves of the Dwarves. As they venture ever deeper, the Dwarves will need to ensure their metal is ready to meet the dangers that lie within, crafting resilient armors and finely honed weapons capable of protecting against and defeating all manner of goblin, arachnoid, or more mysterious foes they may encounter. Excavate the mysteries of the Misty Mountains, extract precious metals prized by Dwarves, rebuild and refire forges that have long since gone cold, and learn the secret of the Shadow that lurks within.