Amazon is said to have canceled its Lord of the Rings MMO

Reports indicate that Amazon's anticipated Lord of the Rings MMO has been discontinued. The news coincides with significant job reductions within Amazon's Games sector last October, as mentioned by Eurogamer.

Jeff Gattis, who supervises games at Amazon, acknowledged the company's plans to deliver a fresh gaming experience rooted in the Lord of the Rings lore without specifically confirming the MMO's cancellation.

GT: "Our team is pushing the boundaries of creativity in crafting an engaging game experience that respects Tolkien’s universe. We are in collaboration with Middle-earth Enterprises and are enthusiastic about the intellectual property."

Originally announced in collaboration with Leyou Technologies in 2019, the game project was subsequently terminated post-Tencent’s acquisition of Leyou in 2020.

Fast forward to 2023, Amazon formed a partnership with Embracer Group, which owns Middle-Earth Enterprises, to revisit the development of the Lord of the Rings MMO.

The development was spearheaded by Amazon Games Orange County, known for creating New World, which is set to cease operations in January 2027. In light of the 2020 layoffs, around 1,000 developers had already transitioned from New World to the Lord of the Rings venture. This move came at a crucial pre-production stage of the MMO.

According to an internal memorandum from Steve Boom, Amazon’s VP overseeing audio and games, the job cuts were linked to stopping a substantial volume of their first-party MMO projects.

Insiders cited a preemptive AI initiative named Project Trident as a factor in the layoffs, implying a major dependence on generative AI before the staff reductions.

Gattis refuted claims that artificial intelligence was linked to the staffing cuts, highlighting instead a strategic reorientation within the business framework. He emphasized the role of human skill in game development:

"Talented developers are at the heart of great gaming, and AI should simply broaden the horizon of what's achievable. We're committed to implementing these technologies judiciously, ensuring our teams' inventiveness remains paramount. We’re eager to unveil more about our ongoing work soon."