Electronic Arts has announced that it has partnered with Middle-earth Enterprises to develop a new free-to-play mobile game based on The Lord of the Rings.
Titled The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-Earth, this game is a collectible role-playing game that brings the fantasy of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings to a “strategic, social-competitive experience” on mobile devices. EA says Heroes of Middle-Earth is the newest addition to its expanding mobile portfolio, and it will be developed by EA’s Capital Games, which is the studio behind Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.
“We are incredibly excited to partner with The Saul Zaentz Company and Middle-earth Enterprises on the next generation of mobile role-playing games,” EA’s vice president of mobile RPGs Malachi Boyle writes in a press release. “The team is filled with fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and each day, they bring their tremendous passion and talents together to deliver an authentic experience for players. The combination of high-fidelity graphics, cinematic animations, and stylized art immerses players in the fantasy of Middle-Earth where they’ll go head-to-head with their favorite characters.”
EA says Heroes of Middle-Earth will feature “immersive storytelling, turn-based combat, deep collection systems, and a wide roster of characters from across the vast universe of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.” The company says players will battle through iconic stories from the world of Tolkien, fighting against the great evils of Middle-Earth, too.
“Electronic Arts has a celebrated relationship with the Tolkien universe having delivered PC and console titles based on The Lord of the Rings books and films,” the press release reads. “In active development by a veteran team of experts in the mobile RPG genre, Capital Games – The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-Earth represents the first mobile game developed by EA inspired by storylines, locations, characters, and lore from The Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit literary works.”
EA says the game is expected to enter limited regional beta testing this summer and that Heroes of Middle-Earth will require a persistent internet connection to play. The game will also feature in-game purchases, including random items, the press release says.
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