Lord of the Rings MMO Reportedly Cancelled After Major Layoffs

It hasn’t been that long since Amazon Games announced mass layoffs across its gaming division, and now, it seems the long-rumoured Lord of the Rings MMORPG has indeed been affected. The development follows restructuring efforts that saw 14,000 job cuts company-wide as part of what it called an “efficiency initiative” aimed at consolidating operations and reducing costs.

As reported earlier, New World — the company’s flagship MMO — was confirmed to be entering its sunset phase, with no further content updates planned. That decision, now coupled with the reported cancellation of The Lord of the Rings MMO, signals a dramatic shift in the division’s ambitions.

Signs of Cancellation Emerge from Former Developers

While Amazon has not officially commented on the project’s status, signs of its cancellation surfaced through posts by former employees affected by the layoffs.

One of the most notable came from Ashleigh Amrine, a former Senior Gameplay Engineer, who revealed that both New World and The Lord of the Rings development teams were impacted. In her post, she wrote that players “would have really loved” what the team was building, a remark that has been widely interpreted as confirmation that the game will not move forward.

A Promising Project That Never Saw the Light

Initially announced in 2023, the Lord of the Rings MMO was described by Christoph Hartmann, Amazon Games VP, as a massive-scale online experience set in Middle-earth. The project aimed to deliver a faithful adaptation of Tolkien’s universe, blending MMO structure with a high production value to rival the likes of Final Fantasy XIV and Elder Scrolls Online.

Now, it appears that those plans have quietly dissolved before any official reveal. This marks the second cancellation of a Lord of the Rings MMO under the company’s banner, the first being a 2021 attempt scrapped following a contract dispute with Tencent.

Tomb Raider and March of Giants Remain Safe

Despite the cuts, not all projects have been affected. As detailed in our previous report, the company’s publishing partnerships remain intact. These include:

Tomb Raider, developed by Crystal Dynamics
March of Giants, a new strategy title in active development
A racing game from Maverick Games, led by former Forza Horizon developers

All three titles are reportedly continuing production without disruption, as the corporate giant pivots toward smaller-scale, high-return projects instead of high-risk live-service investments.

A Shift Toward AI and Casual Games

Bloomberg’s reporting further suggests that the long-term focus is shifting toward AI-driven and casual projects, an echo of the broader corporate direction seen across all divisions.

For MMO fans, though, the loss of The Lord of the Rings project stings deeply. It was meant to be Amazon’s definitive statement in the genre and an ambitious return to Middle-earth that, once again, has faded into myth.