SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Oct. 24, 2023 — Independent developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games are proud to announce that The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, the only survival crafting video game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth™, 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 computer entertainment system on Dec. 5, and is scheduled to come to the Xbox Series X|S console systems in early 2024. Answer the call of Lord Gimli Lockbearer, and lead your band of Dwarves on an all-new adventure to reclaim their forgotten kingdom in the darkest deeps of the fabled Mines of Moria.
"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,” said Jon-Paul Dumont, Game Director, Free Range Games. “But this isn't the end! With the support of our incredible community, this is just the start of our adventures in Khazad-dûm."
"We are thrilled to launch The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, and can’t wait for survival crafting fans to create their Dwarves and step into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth to explore the iconic world of J.R.R. Tolkien," noted John Miller, CEO, North Beach Games. "Free Range Games was the perfect partner for this endeavor; Their vision for the project, dedication to the lore and expertise in the genre combined to create a deeply engaging and satisfying experience that we hope fans of both survival crafting and The Lord of the Rings will enjoy."
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. 5, 2023, and Xbox Series X|S in early 2024. For more information about The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, visit ReturnToMoria.com, join the community Discord, follow the game on Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.
For additional details about developer Free Range Games visit their official website and follow them on Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. For more information on publisher North Beach Games please visit their official website.
About Free Range Games
Free Range Games, headquartered in Sausalito, California, is a video game developer founded in 2009 by veteran developers and longtime collaborators. Free Range Games’ mission is to make games people find meaningful, memorable, and fun. To learn more about Free Range Games visit the website at: https://www.freerangegames.com.
About North Beach Games
North Beach Games publishes PC and console games with a focus on the survival crafting and role-playing categories. The company’s mission is to partner with and empower the world's best independent developers and studios. Based San Rafael, CA, North Beach Games is comprised of industry veterans with a wide range of experience in publishing, marketing and game development. Most recently, North Beach Games has co-published Stranded Deep for console in partnership with Beam Team Games and provided publishing services for 7 Days to Die with The Fun Pimps.
About Middle-earth Enterprises
Middle-earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien is the definitive, deepest, richest and most beloved fantasy world of our time. As its stewards and custodians, our goal is to consistently deliver a wealth of great content in both new, and known formats; to ensure Middle-earth’s rightful place as the world’s leading fantasy IP and brand, forever. Inspired by our deep appreciation for the fictional world created by Professor Tolkien, we are dedicated to working with those providing highest quality products in accordance with best green business and sustainability practices, including fair trade, equality in the workplace, and a commitment to protect our earth, its wondrous beauty and the viability of every living creature. Middle-earth Enterprises was acquired by the Embracer Group in 2022, and has been producing and licensing films, merchandise, electronic games, services, and live stage productions based upon The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books, for more than half a century. www.middleearth.com.
© 2023 Free Range Games. All rights reserved. Free Range Games and the Free Range Games logo are trademarks or service marks of Free Range Games.
© 2023 North Beach Games and associated logos and names are trademarks of Open Door Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.
© 2023 Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Epic, Epic Games, Epic Games Store and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. In the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and elsewhere.
© 2023 Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC."PlayStation Family Mark", "PlayStation", "PS5 logo", "PS5", "PlayStation Shapes Logo" and "Play Has No Limits" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
© 2023 Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. "Moria", "Middle-earth" and "The Lord of the Rings" and the names of the characters, events, items, and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC under license to Open Door Entertainment, LLC dba North Beach Games.
