Summary
The PlayStation 5 version ofThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriahas been delayed just days ahead of its scheduled release date. Anticipation has been growing for the co-op survival game, aLord of the Ringsspin on the popularDeep Rock Galacticmining. But with its October 24 release date looming, publisher North Beach Games has had to share unfortunate news. WhileThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriaremains on schedule on PC, the PS5 version of the game won’t be arriving as planned.
Developer Free Range Games is a veteran team with a diverse library of past projects. While its own games, which includeSpelldrifter,MVP Football: The Patrick Mahomes Experience, andRube Goldberg Workshop, have had limited success, its support forprojects likeOddworld: SoulstormandThe Callisto Protocolhave helped it take on more ambitious projects.The Lord of the Rings:Return to Moriais Free Range’s biggest project yet.
The original release plans forThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriahad the survival gamelaunching on PC via the Epic Games Store and on PS5 starting October 24. Unfortunately, North Beach confirmed that it will not be launching on PS5 as planned. The new release date forReturn to Moriais now December 5, at which point in time the game will be available both digitally and physically.
As for whyThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriais being delayed on PS5, only a brief explanation was given. Additional time is necessary for Free Range to “improve various aspects” of the PS5 version. The six-week delay will allow the development team to elevateReturn to Moriato the “highest possible quality” on PS5. With that said, both North Beach and Free Range do apologize for the delay.
For the time being, therelease schedule forThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriais split by platform. The PC version is still planned to launch on October 24. The PS5 version will follow on December 5. The Xbox Series X/S version is tentatively planned to launch in early 2024, though it’s not unreasonable to assume it could be delayed further.
It’s not abnormal for console versions of games to be delayed beyond their arrival on PC. Part of the reason why is thatPC players are often more comfortable with less polished experiences, allowing the developer to continue working on the project as its console release approaches. It could also just be as simple as distribution for the game or online server scaling needing more time. Either way, the PS5 version ofThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Morianeeds more time, and console players can hopefully be patient.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Morialaunches on PC on October 24, on PS5 on December 5, and in early 2024 on Xbox Series X/S.
