Amazon Games’ ambitious Lord of the Rings MMO has been canceled amid a massive wave of layoffs, marking the second time the project has been scrapped. This follows a now-deleted LinkedIn post from former senior gameplay engineer Ashleigh Amrine, who revealed she was laid off alongside her team on the “fledgling” game, saying, “y’all would have loved it.”
The news comes after Amazon announced cuts affecting 14,000 jobs company-wide, with a heavy focus on MMOs. A memo from VP Steve Boom confirmed halting “a significant amount of first-party AAA game development work—specifically around MMOs,” hitting studios in Irvine and San Diego. This also ended new content for New World, entering maintenance mode through 2026.
Originally announced in 2023 with Embracer Group, this was Amazon’s second LOTR MMO attempt—the first fell apart in 2021 over a Tencent acquisition dispute. Described as a “persistent open-world adventure” spanning The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, it was led by the New World team but vanished from updates, with Amazon shifting from MMO-heavy focus.
While Amazon hasn’t officially confirmed, Amrine’s post—spotted by Rock Paper Shotgun—aligns with the MMO cuts. The company will continue supporting Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark.
Fans lament the loss of what could’ve been a Middle-earth MMO, especially with LOTRO still thriving after 18 years. What do you think about this cancellation? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun
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