Electronic Arts unveils mobile game The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth

Electronic Arts announced it is working on a free-to-play mobile game dubbed The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth.

EA is making the game under a license from Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of the Saul Zaentz Company, which since the 1970s has held the exclusive worldwide rights to motion picture, merchandising, stage and other rights in certain literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth will be a collectible role-playing game (RPG) that brings the fantasy and adventure of The Lord of the Rings to existing fans and new audiences alike in a strategic, social-competitive experience.

The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth is the newest addition to EA’s expanding mobile portfolio as the company continues delivering exceptional experiences and top live services, reaching more players on more platforms around the world. EA made recent acquisitions to bolster its mobile business, including the $2.4 billion acquisition of Glu Mobile and the $1.4 billion acquisition of Playdemic. Capital Games, the maker of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, is making the game for EA.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with The Saul Zaentz Company and Middle-earth Enterprises on the next generation of mobile role-playing games,” said Malachi Boyle, vice president of mobile RPG for Electronic Arts, in a statement. “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.”

The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth will feature 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. Players battle through iconic stories from the world of Tolkien and take up the fight against the evils of Middle-earth.

“We are thrilled to be working with EA once again, this time to bring a mobile game solely inspired by Middle-earth as described in the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien to its fans,” said Fredrica Drotos, chief brand & licensing officer for Middle-earth Enterprises, in a statement. “It’s an honor to work with the talented Capital Games team whose knowledge and love of the lore is palpable throughout.”

Electronic Arts has had a relationship with the Tolkien universe having delivered PC and console titles based on The Lord of the Rings books and films. In active development by a mobile RPG veterans at 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 Rings and The Hobbit literary works.

The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth is expected to enter limited regional beta testing this summer.

Meanwhile, NetEase Games of China has made The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War as a mobile game. That game is licensed based upon the Peter Jackson films created by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. The last mobile game based on Tolkien’s works that I played was Kabam’s The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth, released in 2012.