Epic Games has announced The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, an upcoming crafting-survival game set in the Fourth Age, which follows the dwarves of Middle-earth as they attempt to reclaim Khazad-dûm following the destruction of the Balrog. This will be one of the few games based on The Lord of the Rings set after the War of the Ring, as most games tend to focus on the familiar and exciting events that happened during the conflict.
Moria was a long-abandoned dwarven kingdom, whose people were nearly wiped out by a Balrog, known as Durin's Bane. In Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf is seemingly killed when he is pulled from the Bridge of Khazad-dûm by the Balrog, following a brief battle on the bridge. Gandalf later returns, revealing that he slew the Balrog, and was reborn as Gandalf the White, to continue his mission on Middle-earth. Following the War of the Ring, a dwarf named Durin VII reclaimed Moria and restored it to its former glory.
Announced with a new Epic Games trailer, Return to Moria is a survival-crafting game that's coming to PC via the Epic Games Store in spring 2023. Set in the Fourth Age, the story follows the dwarves who reclaim Moria now that the Balrog is out of the way, and the monstrous races that reside there are scattered and leaderless. The game features solo and up to eight-player co-op multiplayer, with procedurally generated dungeons, as players reclaim many halls of Moria, rebuild the former home of the dwarves, rekindle the forges to build new armor and magic items, and chase the darkness that remains.
Return to Moria features a mixture of crafting, survival, and combat, likely similar to that of games like Valheim. The Balrog may be gone, but orcs and goblins still reside in Moria, and venturing into the mines mean that there is always a chance a battle will occur. The player will have the chance to build their own dwarf and craft gear that can be used to further customize their character. Fans will rebuild the dwarven kingdom by reclaiming landmarks and establishing bases that can act as safe havens in the dark.
The concept behind Return to Moria is interesting, as so many of the games have been action, RPG, or strategy-based, following events that happen during or around the War of the Ring. Exploring Middle-earth after the fall of Sauron is something rarely seen. Moria is a mysterious location, as much knowledge about it has been lost in the years following the arrival of the Balrog, so the developers have a lot of room to expand the lore of The Lord of the Rings through the lost dwarven kingdom of Moria.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will be released for PC via the Epic Games Store in spring 2023.
Source: Epic Games/YouTube