Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game detailed with first trailer

New details about Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game have been revealed.

Coming to Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam, the game will let players live the life of a Hobbit in the idyllic town of Bywater when it’s released in the second half of 2024.

Announced last September, it’s being developed by New Zealand-based special effects and prop company Wētā Workshop, which is best known for its work on the Lord of the Rings and Hobbits films, and will be published by Take-Two’s Private Division label.

It will see players create and personalise their own Hobbit, decorate their home, explore Bywater, and engage in relaxing activities like cooking, fishing, foraging and gardening.

“Unwind in the breathtaking pastures, visit the townsfolks’ local shops, or even enjoy second breakfast,” reads today’s announcement. “Help bring the community together and achieve official village status by throwing the greatest Bywater Festival the Shire has ever seen!”

Kelly Tyson, head of product at Wētā Workshop, commented: “We’re excited to provide players with the opportunity to fulfil their fantasy of living their own humble Hobbit life in the Shire. Tales of the Shire brings a cosy new dimension to the way fans can experience Middle-earth, with plenty of wholesome, Hobbit-centric gameplay to win-over newcomers to the genre.”

Swedish game and media holding company Embracer Group announced today that it plans to split into three separate entities.

The group will separate into three companies—Asmodee, Coffee Stain & Friends and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends—each of which will be listed as a separate company on Nasdasq Stockholm.

Asmodee will continue to operate as a publisher and distributor of board games, trading cards and digital board games, and will consist of 23 fully owned studios.

Coffee Stain & Friends will focus on PC, console and mobile games, including “community-driven free-to-play games, LiveOps games and indie / AA games”.

It will operate under premium and free-to-play divisions. The premium segment will consist of Coffee Stain, THQ Nordic, Ghost Ship, Tuxedo Labs, Tarsier, Amplifier Game Invest and others.

Finally, Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends will be a “creative powerhouse in AAA game development and publishing for PC / console” and will own the Lord of the Rings and Tomb Raider IPs, along with the likes of Dead Island, Metro and Kingdom Come Deliverance.

Studios joining Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends will include Crystal Dynamics, Dambuster, Eidos Montreal, Flying Wild Hog, Tripwire, Vertigo Games, Warhorse Studios and 4A Games.