The visual effects company will help to bring Middle-earth to life once more.
Private Division and Weta Workshop

Private Division announced that they are partnering with Weta Workshop for a new game set in Middle-earth. The world of Middle-earth was created by author J.R.R. Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which may be a couple of titles that are familiar to you.

This new game will be based on the books rather than the movies. Weta has apparently been given "the broadest creative license to interpret the underlying lore of the books."

Weta is a massive force when it comes to creating outstanding and believable visual effects in media. They have worked on everything from Avatar, to The Lord of the Rings films, to DUNE, Blade Runner 2049, Poltergeist, Mad Max: Fury Road, to the Marvel films, and so very many others. It will be very interesting to see what they can do with what is essentially a blank canvas for a video game adaptation of Middle-earth.

The game is still very, very early in development. There is no release date set for the game yet outside of a vague "fiscal year 2024" for Take-Two. For what it's worth, that fiscal year ends on March 31, 2024.

“We are thrilled to partner with Wētā Workshop to publish a game set in such an extraordinary and celebrated universe,” said Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer, Take-Two Interactive, and Head of Private Division. “The Lord of the Rings IP is home to so many remarkable stories, and no entity is better equipped than the team at Wētā Workshop to create a distinctive, new Middle-earth gaming experience.”

“It’s a privilege to create a new game set in Middle-earth, especially one that’s so different from what fans have played previously,” said Amie Wolken, Head of Interactive at Wētā Workshop. “As fans ourselves, we’re excited for gamers to explore Middle-earth in a way they never have before, and introduce new fans to the magic of The Lord of the Rings.”

This title is in early development and does not yet have an announced release date. It is expected to launch during Take-Two’s Fiscal Year 2024. Private Division and Wētā Workshop look forward to sharing more details about this game in the future.