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Private Division teases Lord of the Rings game in collaboration with Weta Workshop

As Private Division and Weta Workshop team up on this new unnamed Lord of the Rings title, it is expected to launch sometime in Take-Two's fiscal 2024.

TJ Denzer

August 15, 2022 6:50 AM

Image via Take-Two Interactive

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It looks like Private Division has set its eyes on a legendary IP and is approaching the perfect folks to aid in utilizing it best. Today, Take-Two Interactive’s indie-focused wing announced it would be partnering with the New Zealand-based Wētā Workshop special effects studio. The two are coming together to produce a new and as-of-yet unnamed game in J.R.R. Tolkien’s popular Lord of the Rings universe.

Private Division announced its collaboration with Wētā Workshop for a Lord of the Rings title in a press release on August 15, 2022. According to the announcement, Take-Two Interactive signed a publishing agreement with Wētā Workshop, putting the special effects group in contact with Private division to work on the new game. Untitled, Private Division and Wētā Workshop’s collaborative game is still quite early in development and has no official release date. At this time, Take-Two is hoping to have the game released by its fiscal 2024.

“We are thrilled to partner with Wētā Workshop to publish a game set in such an extraordinary and celebrated universe,” said Take-Two Interactive Chief Strategy Officer and Private Division lead Michael Worosz. “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.”

Wētā Workshop was equally thrilled to take part in the collaboration with Take-Two and Private Division.

“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 Wētā Workshop Head of Interactive Amie Wolken. “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.”

There’s already The Lord of the Rings: Gollum in the works from Daedalic Entertainment, set to launch in 2023. Nonetheless, it looks like we can look forward to another unique foray into Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe sometime in 2024. Stay tuned for new reveals and details.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.