Amazon's games arm is partnering with Embracer Group to make a Lord of the Rings game.

Announced in a blog post on the former's website, this is set to be an MMO that will feature stories from both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books. The title is being developed by Amazon's Orange County studio, which previously made the company's only real hit so far – fellow MMO New World.

If you're feeling a sense of deja vu, then yes, of course, Amazon was previously making a Lord of the Rings MMO in partnership with Hong Kong's Leyou Technologies Holdings. That project fell apart when the latter was acquired by Chinese giant Tencent, which apparently could not work with Amazon on the game.

“We’re committed to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings,” Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann (pictured) said.

“Bringing players a fresh take on The Lord of the Rings has long been an aspiration for our team, and we’re honoured and grateful that Middle-earth Enterprises is entrusting us with this iconic world. We’re also pleased to be expanding our relationship with Embracer Group following our Tomb Raider deal last year, as they’ve proven to be excellent collaborators.”

Lee Guinchard, CEO of Embracer's Freemode label, added: “The world of Middle-earth continues to prove an endlessly fertile ground for creators, and Amazon Games has a passion for building immersive, compelling worlds and publishing games for a global audience.

“We have the clear ambition to create the highest-quality entertainment products for this IP, whether we utilize internal resources or team up with the best industry partners that complement our capabilities. We’re taking every care to deliver an MMO which will do justice to the expansive Middle-earth universe and delight players around the world.”

Embracer Group acquired The Lord of the Rings IP in August 2022.