Take-Two is making a Middle-earth game with Weta Workshop

A new Middle-earth game is in the works and set to be published by Take-Two‘s label Private Division label.

A new tweet posted by Private Division’s official Twitter account announced that the publisher is teaming up with Weta Workshop, the special effects company synonymous with recent Middle-earth movies and shows.

“We’re thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Weta Workshop to publish a new game set in the literary Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien,” the tweet reads.

The game, which is in early development, is expected to be released “during Take-Two’s fiscal year 2024”.

Weta Workshop is the New Zealand company that created the special effects and props for all three of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies, all three of his The Hobbit movies and his 2005 King Kong reboot.

It’s also involved in the upcoming Amazon Prime series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, said to be the most expensive television series ever made.

According to the announcement, the upcoming game will be developed by Weta itself, which established its own game studio in 2014.

“Middle-earth Enterprises have licensed the literary works of the series, providing Weta Workshop with the broadest creative license to interpret the underlying lore of the books,” a statement from Private Division said.

Private Division is a subsidiary of Take-Two and mainly specialises in publishing indie games.

Since its inception in 2017, the label has published the likes of The Outer Worlds, OlliOlli World and the upcoming Rollerdrome.

In March, Private Division announced four new publishing agreements with independent developers – Die Gute Fabrik, Evening Star, Piccolo Studio, and Yellow Brick Games.

It added that while all four developers have games in early development, “the first of these titles is not expected to launch until Take-Two’s Fiscal Year 2024.”