Independent developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games announced that The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth based on the iconic fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, is available now digitally for Windows PC via the Epic Games Store.
The game will see both a digital and physical release for the PlayStation 5 on Dec 5, and is scheduled to come to the Xbox Series X|S console systems in early 2024.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is a love letter to Professor Tolkien’s Dwarves, made by a development team of hardcore fans. We’ve stuffed it with as much lore, exploration, danger, and joy as we could fit – But this isn’t the end! With the support of our incredible community, this is just the start of our adventures in Khazad-dûm.
Jon-Paul Dumont – Game Director, Free Range Games
The story of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria takes players beyond the books and into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the fantastical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer (voiced in-game by actor John Rhys-Davies), players band together as a company of Dwarves tasked to reclaim the lost spoils from the Dwarven homeland of Moria — known as Khazad-dûm or Dwarrowdelf — in the depths below their very feet.
Their quest will require fortitude and teamwork, delving deep into the Mines of Moria to recover its treasures in the hopes of one day restoring them to their former glory.
In The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria players will create their own custom Dwarf before venturing into the cavernous mines of Moria alone or together with a company of fellow Dwarves online. Each adventure into the depths will bring unique challenges and opportunities through the use of procedurally generated environments, creating nearly endless possibilities as players seek the deepest delves of the Dwarves.
As they venture ever deeper, the Dwarves will need to ensure their metal is ready to meet the dangers that lie within, crafting resilient armors and finely honed weapons capable of protecting against and defeating all manner of goblin, arachnoid, or more mysterious foes they may encounter.
Excavate the mysteries of the Misty Mountains, extract precious metals prized by Dwarves, rebuild and refire forges that have long since gone cold, and learn the secret of the Shadow that lurks within.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Key Game Features:
- Feel the Fellowship: Experience the Fellowship of the Dwarves like never before, with the rich lore of the iconic fantasy world from J.R.R. Tolkien interwoven into the very fabric of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.
- Survive the Dark: To survive the treacherous Mines of Moria players must conserve resources, hunt and gather for food, and manage their sleep, temperature and noise levels. Utilize dynamic light systems for safety and to blaze a path further into the darkness. Battle unspeakable evils and survive hordes of monstrous Orcs in visceral combat, while uncovering the secret of the Shadow that looms within the mountain.
- Base Building: Find solace from the darkness. Reveal and clear new locations to create architecture on a grand scale. Get creative and construct bases from scratch or build upon the existing environment. Beware the evils which seek to destroy Dwarven progress.
- Rebuild and Reshape Moria: Restore the long-lost ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm to its former glory, recovering Dwarven landmarks as the story progresses. Resurrect old mines and refire their forges to yield their untouched resources.
- Explore: Delve into the depths of the Mines of Moria. Procedurally generated environments are abundant with resources and fraught with mystery and danger, providing a unique experience each and every time.
- Co-op Multiplayer: Adventure alone or band together with friends in online cooperative multiplayer with up to eight players on PC and up to four players on Console.
- Craft Dwarven Tools, Weapons and More: Craft and loot legendary Dwarven armor, tools, weapons and structures. Rebuild ancient forges to strengthen, repair, and enchant gear. Upgrade and unlock new technologies and fantastical machines.
- Uncover Magic Artifacts: Discover ancient magic items including swords that glow when Orcs are near, maps of long-dormant Mithril veins, books with forgotten crafting plans, and amulets that give strength or wisdom.
- Mine Ore and Jewels: Establish mines to unearth deposits of precious resources such as iron, gold, and quartz; and fantastical materials such as Mithril. Access crafting stations and forges to convert ore to ingots and upgrade gear. But be prepared, mining is loud and can awaken what lurks in the darkness.
- Boost Your Spirit with Drink and Song: Nothing boosts spirits and morale quite like an ale by the hearth. Build your own dwarven brewery, craft a brew and join in dwarven drinking songs with your party.
- Comprehensive Dwarf Builder: Players become part of Dwarven Legend as they create their own Dwarf in the custom character creator. Dwarves can be customized in a variety of ways to create a unique Dwarven identity. Then, during gameplay, players can find and craft armor and weapons to further enhance their unique style.
- John Rhys-Davies Voices Lord Gimli Lockbearer: Venerable actor John Rhys-Davies reprises his iconic role of Lord Gimli Lockbearer, leading the game’s official voice actor’s cast.
Developed by Free Range Games and Published by North Beach Games, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is available now for an MSRP of $39.99 USD, and has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB, and has a PEGI 12 rating. The game is currently scheduled for release on PlayStation 5 on Dec. 5th, 2023, and Xbox Series X|S in early 2024.
This is our mountain, our home, and our runway.
Show us your Dwarves!#ReturntoMoria #TheLordoftheRings #RtM #LotR #LotRReturntoMoria #mountainfashion #MoriaStyle #showusyourdwarves pic.twitter.com/DMVxaz1vx5
— The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (@ReturnToMoria) October 24, 2023
