Amazon has reportedly cancelled its Lord of the Rings MMO, according to sources familiar with the project.
Amazon has reportedly cancelled its Lord of the Rings MMO, according to sources familiar with the project. The cancellation followed layoffs in Amazon's Games division last October. Jeff Gattis, Amazon's head of games, hinted at a 'new game experience' in the Lord of the Rings universe.
The Lord of the Rings MMO project, initially announced in 2019, was canceled after Tencent acquired Leyou Technologies in 2020. Amazon later partnered with Embracer to work on the MMO. The development was led by Amazon Games Orange County, known for New World, which is set to go offline in January 2027.
Layoffs affected teams transitioning from New World to the Lord of the Rings project. The cuts were reportedly linked to a shift in Amazon's first-party game development strategy, including work on generative AI. However, Gattis denied that AI played a role in the layoffs, emphasizing a 'strategic shift' in Amazon's business.
Steve Boom, Amazon's vice president, attributed the layoffs to the halt in first-party game development, mentioning a focus on AI technologies. Despite the changes, Gattis expressed confidence in the team's creativity and the upcoming projects.
