Wētā Workshop And Private Division Making A Lord Of The Rings Game In NZ

Wētā Workshop has announced it has partnered with American video game publisher Private Division on a Lord of the Rings game currently in production at the studio

Wētā founded a games division within the company back in 2014. The still-untitled Lord of the Rings game is the result of a license agreement with Middle-Earth Enterprises, and is said to be in ‘early production’. Founded in 1987, Wētā Workshop is well known for being the special effects and prop house that worked on Peter Jackson’s beloved Lord of the Rings film trilogy. These days, its CGI production studio Wētā FX (previously Wētā Digital) exists as its own separate entity.

Private Division is owned by Take-Two Interactive, which currently expects the title to launch in FY2024.

The game continues New Zealand’s long creative relationship with The Lord of the Rings, though it’s not yet known what kind of game it will be nor which platforms it is bound for.

As the news began to spread, staff at Wētā began to celebrate on Twitter.

FOLKS

IM SO EXCITED TO BE PRODUCING THIS GAME https://t.co/Wu7KJCuKJJ

— Calliope Ryder 🔜 #nzgdc #gamescom (@callioperyder) August 15, 2022

The announcement comes after Gollum, the other Lord of the Rings game currently in production at Daedalic Entertainment, was recently delayed for a second time.