The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, a new survival crafting video game that is said to be the very first to be set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the fantasy world introduced by author J.R.R. Tolkien, is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam on August 27, independent developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games have announced. These new ports of the game, which was originally released for the PS5 and the Epic Games Store in late 2024, will usher in The Golden Update, a new update that introduces several new features, including crossplay between all platforms, Sandbox Mode, and what’s been described as a treasure trove of other content, updates, and improvements.
The Golden Update offers:
- Sandbox Mode
- “Previously only available in beta via the EGS version of Return to Moria, the full launch of Sandbox Mode allows players across all platforms to experience independent exploration and experimentation throughout the mountain. This nonlinear mode unleashes the full potential of the procedural generation system, and the game world is generated with a wide variety of random seeds, meaning each playthrough can vary significantly in layout and difficulty. Because of its inherent unpredictability and minimal tutorials, this mode is recommended for players who are familiar with Return to Moria or other survival games.”
- Crossplay Across All Platforms
- “Exploring the Mines of Moria with friends just got easier! Any player on PC via Steam or EGS, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 can now host games to be joined by any other player. Just like non-crossplay games, Steam players can host 8-player sessions, regardless of the platform the joining players are on.”
- New Weapons and Armor
- “Sandbox Mode brings with it recipes for 14 new weapons and armor including a Wolf Skin Hat, Gondorian Shield, Khazad Halberd, and Barôkamlut. Though only discoverable in Sandbox Mode, players can bring new objects into Campaign Mode as long as their Dwarf is equipped with them when transferring over.”
- New Building Parts and Decorations
- “Players can spruce up their bases with over 100 new building objects, including new cosmetic decorations such as light fixtures, rugs, banners, home furnishings, tables, and chairs.”
- Building Improvements
- “Restoring Moria is now easier than ever with the changes made to the stability system as well as improved object snapping. The miscellaneous buildings throughout Moria are now stronger than ever, expanding players’ ability to build expansive bases wherever they choose.”
- Single Player Pause
- “To improve the solo player experience, offline players can now pause the game by hitting escape on PC or by opening the settings menu.”
- Ambient Music
- “Due to popular demand, there is now an ambient music soundtrack to accompany the Dwarves’ ventures through Moria.”
- Difficulty Settings
- “Players can now fine-tune the difficulty level for various aspects of the game including enemy aggression, combat, horde, siege and patrol frequency, world and mining drops, and survival.”
- Bug Fixes and Improvements
- “For more details on the various updates, fixes, multiplayer connectivity improvements, and more introduced to the game, players can visit the official website.”
A look at the new update:
Game description:
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 (voiced in-game by actor John Rhys-Davies), players band together as 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 in the hopes of one day restoring them to their former glory.