Zaentz Co. is selling the Lord of the Rings video game rights, which opens the door to new games set in the world of Middle-earth. Many developers have tried to create a game based on JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novels. From tactical strategy games to single player adventures. Developers have explored Tolkien IPs in various ways, even Lego has been to Middle-earth.
One of the most successful Lord of the Rings video games is The Lord of the Rings Online, an MMORPG set in Middle-earth. The game is over fifteen years old and has maintained a decent number of players despite its outdated graphics and systems. Its most recent expansion, Fate of Gundabad, arrived late last year.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum shows Gandalf and impressive settings
Lord of the Rings video game rights
There are notable Lord of the Rings video games. One of them is undoubtedly Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, which filled the 60-year gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. According to Variety, Zaentz Co. is selling the video game rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as other titles set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Zaentz Co. currently owns the rights to use LOTR and The Hobbit in movies, video games and merchandisingas well as at live events and theme parks.
The rights are about to go to auction and projections indicate that the LOTR rights value exceeds $2 billion, due in part to Amazon’s new TV series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and recent valuations of other top-tier IPs. Microsoft is a possible candidate to buy them, given its buying streak.