For Hobbit Day 2024, Weta Workshop and Private Division shared a playable demo of their new cozy game Tales of the Shire, and Happy Hobbit got to play the game! The release date has also been moved to Spring of 2025, across all gaming platforms.
Playing, foraging, cooking and sharing in the Shire
So what’s the game like? After playing for around 90 minutes, Kellie writes:
The Tales of the Shire demo is just enough to whet my appetite for more! The gameplay is intuitive and straightforward. The base options to customize your character’s appearance give you enough choices to make them unique without being overwhelming, and there appear to be slots to unlock future clothing/accessories. The premise of moving into Old Ruby’s hobbit hole and slowly fixing it up as your character (originally from Bree) meets the folk of Bywater is reminiscent of other cozy games I have played, yet has its own unique Shire flair (I didn’t have time to try out this feature, but you can furnish and decorate your hobbit hole!). I was surprised by how full of life and character the dialogue is as you interact with the locals (it made me laugh several times). Being a demo, I haven’t yet explored much of the geography, but what I did contained serene and bucolic vistas that often made me pause to take it all in. The music, as well, is equally as atmospheric and soothing, often interspersed with periods of quiet and birdsong. These elements combine to create an engaging, calm, and immersive gaming experience. Shortly after I stopped playing to go water my own garden in real life, I found myself wanting to play more! The full game won’t be out until next year, so I had to content myself with some rustic beef stew for dinner… because I just couldn’t leave the Shire.
Other Tolkien influencers and gamers also got to play the preview, and most of them spoke all of the character dialog in their own hobbity voices. It’s quite charming! Watch the Happy Hobbit demo play through below or on YouTube.
Official Press Release for Tales of the Shire
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game Launcheson March 25, 2025
Fulfill your dreams of living the idyllic countryside life of the Shire! Spend your days full of jovial meals with Hobbit friends, foraging for tasty morsels, and decorating your home early next year
New York, NY – September 23, 2024 – Private Division, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Wētā Workshop, the creative studio known for their work on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, revealed yesterday during a showcase that Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game will launch on March 25, 2025 on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Netflix Games.
Watch the showcase to find out more about all the exciting features and inspirations behind the game on YouTube.
Embark on a cosy adventure in Tales of the Shire where you experience the quiet life of a Hobbit in J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Begin by creating your unique Hobbit avatar, choosing from a variety of very Hobbit-specific features to express yourself – including foot-hair styles and personality ‘moods’ that bring your character to life. Perhaps your Hobbit is a friendly soul with fiery red hair, a cute button nose, and bright green eyes? Or maybe your Hobbit is more of a Sackville curmudgeon, with a broad nose and balding hair! The choice is yours. Then set out to make your home in sleepy Bywater and enjoy the simple pleasures of life in the Shire.
“Wētā Workshop has been trusted with J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth universe for more than 25 years, and over that time we have built up a deep understanding of the lore and a real love of Middle-earth that flows through our creative work across screen, collectibles and now, our cosy sims games,” said Richard Taylor, Co-founder and CEO at Wētā Workshop. “Tales of the Shire allows us to inspire our talents in an entirely new medium and, ultimately, create this game for people just like us – fans of The Lord of the Rings. This is a beautiful way that players who are looking for a quieter, more peaceful time can discover this in a less explored corner of this universe.”
This small, growing community is home to a delightful cast of residents, who will request your aid in placing Bywater on the Shire’s map as an official village. To accomplish this goal, you will grow and nurture relationships with other characters. For most Hobbits, the best way to build bonds with others is through the comforts of a warm meal.
Much like in real life, cooking requires proper preparation, careful attention, and a “dash of this or that” for the perfect feast. Chop up home grown vegetables, sauté foraged mushrooms, perhaps add a tart pickle or a dollop of sweet jam to balance the dish. Every meal has various steps to complete to earn multiple stars, all in an effort to present a dish that satisfies and delights your guests.
As a newly established Hobbit, you’ll have access to the essentials – a bedroom, a cosy lounge, and of course – your pantry and kitchen to prepare meals for expected and unexpected guests. From these humble beginnings, you’ll soon be able to expand your space and supplies – fishing, foraging, gardening, and trading with your neighbours. This will quickly enable you to establish a well-stocked pantry and upgraded tools for harvesting and cooking. The shops of Bywater are bustling with many vendors who are willing to sell you all kinds of ingredients, as well as decorative items for your Hobbit home. Meet humorous and interesting characters like Old Noakes; while he may seem a bit cantankerous at first, he is a master angler. Not only can he give you tips on improving your own fishing skills, and help unlock secret fishing spots, he trades his daily catches. Nora and Fosco Burrows’ shop is stocked to the brim with adornments for your home as well as other charming items to fill out your wardrobe. There are many other Hobbits awaiting you in Bywater, so be sure to meet and invite them over for a second breakfast!
If you are not feeling up to the bustle of the market, wander through the fields and the forests to scavenge for seasonal items. Collect some juicy berries for a fresh summer tart or mushrooms to add to a harvest pie. Butterflies often flutter by and when closely followed can guide you to new discoveries. Beyond the rounded opening of your Hobbit home, a short venture reveals a bounty – your very own garden. This fully customisable area allows you to place multiple plots. Want to place a daybed in your garden? Perhaps you’d like to create a summer table setting? The space is yours to create! Your garden offers a personal touch to your Hobbit life, and here you can grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, spices, and other harvestable ingredients. Just be sure to take proper care by watering and checking on them daily.
In addition to the hills’ ample harvest and your ability to cultivate plants in your garden, you can catch a variety of fish in the various streams and bubbling brooks around Bywater. Relax by taking a moment to cast your lure in a stream. Watch the bobber closely and hook a big catch for your next meal!
“The Lord of the Rings is an extraordinary world, beloved by hundreds of millions, and people have been clamoring for a game to bring the community, fellowship, and warmth of the Shire to life,” said Eric Correll, Vice President, Head of Marketing at Private Division. “In Tales of the Shire, Wētā Workshop has created the countryside village of Bywater like no one else could do, and we can’t wait for gamers to unwind, relax, and explore.”
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is possible due to Middle-earth Enterprises having licensed the literary works of The Lord of the Rings series and providing Wētā Workshop Game Studio with the creative license. The game is coming March 25, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Netflix Games, and PC via Steam. Tales of the Shire is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and visit www.talesoftheshire.com.
Private Division is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
About Middle-earth Enterprises
Middle-earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien is the definitive, deepest, richest and most beloved fantasy world of our time. As its stewards and custodians, our goal is to consistently deliver a wealth of great content in both new, and known formats; to ensure Middle-earth’s rightful place as the world’s leading fantasy IP and brand, forever. Inspired by our deep appreciation for the fictional world created by Professor Tolkien, we are dedicated to working with those providing highest quality products in accordance with best green business and sustainability practices, including fair trade, equality in the workplace, and a commitment to protect our earth, its wondrous beauty and the viability of every living creature. Middle-earth Enterprises was acquired by the Embracer Group in 2022, and has been producing and licensing films, merchandise, electronic games, services, and live stage productions based upon The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books, for more than four decades. Visit our website at www.middleearth.com.
About Wētā Workshop
Wētā Workshop brings imaginary worlds to life by delivering concept design, physical effects, collectibles, immersive visitor experiences and games to the world’s entertainment and creative industries.
Established by Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger in 1987, we are best known for our screen work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Avatar, and Dune, our immersive visitor experiences, Gallipoli: The Scale of our War, Expo 2020 Dubai’s Mobility Pavilion and Wētā Workshop Unleashed. Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Wētā Workshop’s ground-breaking work has earned us multiple international awards. Wētā Workshop Game Studio was established in 2014 and is led by an experienced team of creative game developers and film veterans who bring Wētā Workshop’s signature storytelling, technical innovation and artistry to our games studio.
Private Division is a developer-focused publisher that partners with the finest creative talent in the video game industry, empowering studios to develop the games that they are passionate about creating, while providing the support that they need to make their titles critically and commercially successful on a global scale. The Label publishes the Kerbal Space Program franchise, No Rest for the Wicked from Moon Studios, The Outer Worlds from Obsidian Entertainment, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey from Panache Digital Games, OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome from Roll7, Penny’s Big Breakaway from Evening Star, and more. The Label publishes the physical retail edition of Hades from Supergiant Games on PlayStation®, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. For more information, please visit www.privatedivision.com.
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher, and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. We develop and publish products principally through Rockstar Games, 2K, Private Division, and Zynga. Our products are designed for console gaming systems, PC, and mobile, including smartphones and tablets. We deliver our products through physical retail, digital download, online platforms, and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
Coming soon to consoles, mobile, and PC, Tales of the Shire introduces a new vision of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Hobbit landscape as a cozy, comfortable place to return to in a more personal interactive way.
TheOneRing.net’s Justin and Kellie recently caught up with the producers on Tales of the Shire, and you can read her report here. The game is being developed internally at Wētā Workshop in New Zealand and published worldwide by Private Division. After the recently released first-look trailer, fans wanted to know more how about this project came about, and why the Oscar winning design studio decided to start making games based on The Lord of the Rings.
Justin: Thank you for chatting with TheOneRing.net. Please introduce yourselves to the fans!
Morgan: I’m Morgan Jaffit. Executive Producer on Tales of the Shire.
Calliope: And I am Calliope Ryder, the lead producer on Tales of the Shire.
Building on the Legacy of The Lord of the Rings
Justin: Talk about the legacy of Wētā Workshop. You’re making a video game, but there’s a whole legacy of building a world class Shire on film and in physical spaces in Matamata. So where do you even start with a new form of adaptation?
Calliope: We are very fortunate that a lot of people on the team have been working in, well sort of living in, the Middle-earth environment for quite a long time. There’s our art director who worked on The Hobbit and actually many people on the team who’ve worked in concepting in departments on various Lord of the Rings things. It’s sort of a natural extension of what has happened in the past, but with a really new brushstroke. Sort of a fairy tale lens, everything is rose tinted: how can we make this Shire a really, really cozy place? How can we sort of give a new visual expression of what Wētā has done, like leaning on the experience that we’ve got, to make something that looks unique but is still very clearly of Middle-earth?
Morgan: It just runs through the veins of every Wētā Workshop project. Dan Falconer is just up the road. And when Darren, our narrative lead, says, “I wonder about this? Let’s ask Dan.” Dan wanders down and gives this insight during a build review. Fans all know Richard Taylor, who has the finest eye for visual detail that I have seen in a human, and has lived in this world forever. He will look at something and say, “No, the way that sword hangs is incorrect! We need to make a nine-degree change to the tilt of the tip of the sheath.”
That sort of detail and that sort of precision is there every day. It’s there in focused ways, in members of the team, and it’s there in just the framework of the organization that we draw on. It’s the people working it through every day. I’ll look around and think, that person knows more about this than anyone else in the entire universe. It’s been a real privilege to be involved in that.
Calliope: I think it’s pretty rare for a studio to make this commercial game and have access to so many experts in so many different fields. Morgan mentioned the leather working thing earlier, but across the board is just so much wealth of knowledge to draw from every direction.
Morgan: Plus, there is support and elevation for excellence. I actually don’t think you can get to excellence through pressure. You can only get there through support, camaraderie, and teamwork. It’s a muscle they’ve been training every day. And it’s a filter as well. When you know Daniel Falconer or Richard Taylor comes by and says, “Oh, this is what would make it better,” — they tend to be right. So we need to go make it better. It’s all very easy while also being the hardest thing in the world.
Justin: Speaking of this team of experts, what do the demographics look like on the development team?
Morgan: There’s a good and diverse team making the game. Except for the fact that it’s overwhelmed with New Zealanders!
Calliope: Actually, I would say Commonwealths, so lot of Kiwis and a lot of Australians. We’ve got a few Brits. We’ve got a Canadian, specifically a New Zealand Canadian expat. It’s changed quite a bit lately, and like all game studios, it ebbs and flows. I’m sort of the person on this project where if a question comes up for a particular thing, they are told to ‘make Cal happy’!
Justin: How did Wētā Workshop decide to start making games, and building out a game development team?
Calliope: Before my time, Wētā Workshop was working on an augmented reality project for a game based on our own IP, Dr Grordbort’s: Invaders – however this was never released. So there was already the foundation for making tech, making video or experimental tech, and video games and gamified experiences. When the project ended, we still had a bunch of devs around and accessible to us. So they got to work trying to figure out what the next step was. Making something that was a bit more easily accessible for a wider audience was a pretty high priority.
Morgan: I think the Wētā DNA is: have amazing people, look at how to apply them to problems that haven’t been solved before, and find people who want to partner up and do things right. I think they have a game studio because that was the right solution to the question of what to do with amazing people. It’s sort of a symbiotic relationship when you talk about the growth. There’s this push and pull, and I think part of the reason that we’re seeing gaming success in New Zealand is from the sorts of things that are going on, as well as a quicker development time for work. Yeah, it’s just a really great ecosystem.
Justin: With the two different companies collaborating on this game, how have you divided the work between Wētā Workshop and Private Division? What does that relationship look like?
Morgan: It’s a really traditional publisher-developer relationship, with a slight difference. It wouldn’t be unusual for a publisher to have an IP like Middle-earth with a game in mind, where they were talking to developers and getting developers lined up. But obviously Wētā Workshop itself has a long relationship with Middle-earth Enterprises. So Wētā Workshop went to Private Division and said this is a game we really want to make. Private Division said we think that’s a great idea. They’ve helped with resources, marketing support, and distribution. They’ve been really great partners from a production standpoint and helping to manage. There are an enormous amount of different wheels to turn to get a big game made. But when it comes to the game, when it comes to what goes into the game, that is all Wētā Workshop. The team are on site (or in some cases remote), but it’s Wētā people, making a Wētā game, the Wētā way, and working with Private Division to get that out to the world.
Calliope: One of the really good things about Private Division, when you look through their portfolio of previous titles, is that they place a really high value on artistic expression and creatives. I think that’s a pretty good match for us because if there’s anything that we want to do really well, and own more, it’s the artistic expression of the Shire.
Making Games in New Zealand
Justin: It seems like there’s a huge game development scene in New Zealand, with the CODE program where the government supports game developers with funding.
Calliope: I have to give credit where credit’s due. CODE Center of Digital Excellence is a government funded grant program with the aim to start more indie gaming studios in the region. Just being in New Zealand, we’re a long way away from GDC and the rest of the world. Obviously with COVID the climate’s changed a bit, but it’s hard for us to pitch new games. It costs a lot of money to go to gaming industry events for people who don’t have backing. With CODE starting things up in Dunedin, and now nationally across New Zealand, it had this huge boom and a lot of gaming devs are now doing really well. It feels very nice for gaming to finally be recognized. For a long time, games were kind of lumped into sports, which we’re not, then we were always lumped in with the screen (filmmaking) initiatives, which we are not. So it’s really nice to feel like gaming is being recognized by and supported by the New Zealand government to bring New Zealand’s game development scene up.
Justin: Did this NZ indie gaming scene influence the creative decision to make a small cozy game, versus making a AAA-level game right out of the gate?
Calliope: I mean, for us, we have to sort of be a bit realistic, right? It would be incredibly hard to go from no game experience to a AAA game. We had to figure out what’s right for Wētā Workshop. What can we make to give back to the world? What can we make that is something that we really want to work on?
Morgan: It really was Wētā Workshop driven. Way more organic than you think. It’s an organic place. Just have the world’s best people, and then work out the problems with chewing gum. I mean, that is the sense I get from Richard and Tanya, and the rest of the crew all the way down.
The other thing I’d say is that, you know, we are aware that this is a game that different people will turn up to for different reasons. And it’s really important to us that all of them are welcomed with open arms and given the sort of experience that they want to get out of it. In terms of motivations, and in terms of demographics, that’s really how we’ve been thinking about it from the opening. But it’s also a part of the reason that, you know, Cal’s been such a great lead for this project – because she lives in that world, as do the other women on the team. Which is really important.
Justin: How much of pressure is there to be excellent at creative output? Is there pressure coming from the legacy at Wētā Workshop, that you’re building upon?
Calliope: What pressure? (sarcastic laugh) We recognize the opportunity that we’re given to build this game. We recognize – and we love – that we really care for the lore, we care for the IP, we really care for Middle-earth. We are a studio that is growing within a much older legacy of excellence, especially artistic creative excellence. I don’t think you could be at Wētā Workshop and not make an incredibly beautiful project, and hold yourself to the standard that you see around you every day.
What games the developers are playing
Justin: What are some of your favorite games? What do you play?
Calliope: This is not particularly cosy in this case, because in a way, I love Frostpunk, I adore Frostpunk. I can’t wait for number two to come out. I think there’s something that is actually really cosy about storms, winter, deep dark. The existence of a really harsh environment sort of creates that cosy feeling. I’ve been playing a little bit of Dreamlight Valley. I love games like Firewatch. I like tourism games, right? Like games where you get to explore, not so much action adventure, but in not quite walking sense, but just exploring beautiful environments.
Morgan: I’m ancient, so my tastes fossilized 100 years ago. Favorites would change from one day to the other, but Dungeon Master or Ultima IV. Space trading game Elite was very, very impactful on me, it had a huge impact. Device 6 is a mobile game by the studio that did Year Walk. Device 6 is like the old British television series Prisoner of War, which is kind of a surrealistic 60s mod text adventure on mobile, that’s just super my jam. I’m playing tons of Marvel Snap recently because I move around a lot and have kids. I love the first Arkham game. I think it represents a really significant point in the way development changed from one place to the other. System Shock 2 is hugely influential on me, and the Ultima Underworld games were remarkable at the time as they kind of exposed what 3D systemic gaming could be. I’ve always had a soft spot for everything that’s come out of the Looking Glass alumni. Deathloop is probably the most recent.
Justin: Helldivers 2 has really captured the imagination of everybody, because of the co-op and the fact that developers are like, “We’re leaving something in the game just because it’s fun.”
Calliope: For that type of game, it’s one of the more approachable ones that I’ve experienced, right? There’s some games that I play for social, and that’s games like Helldivers. And that’s because it feels good to do things with friends. Then there’s games where the purpose for me is to settle down, to have a nice little list that I can check off every day. I go around and do mining and watering different things, and Dorfromantik is one that I’m obsessed with, and keep returning to relax as a therapeutic game. Obviously Stardew Valley I’ve put an inordinate amount of time to – more than I put into Skyrim, and that’s saying something.
Justin: How do you manage that balance of adding things that are fun to play, but maybe are not accurate to the lore?
Morgan: I don’t think anywhere that I can think of where we had a fun-versus-lore question. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, it just hasn’t. We’ve been committed from early on to a pretty high degree of verisimilitude but because of that, we are grounded. We are in the world of the lore. I don’t think anybody’s been like, I’d love to have a flamethrower mini game.
Calliope: *laughs* But a Balrog rising mini game could be fun!
Morgan: We understand that the interface layer and the in-game layer are separate. You wouldn’t have a backpack to put things in, but with tiny little boxes as a UI concept. That’s not a breach of lore issue. The people who know the lore are regularly like, “But NO!” about certain things, but not about fun game mechanics. When we look at fun ideas, like what if we had those type of characters turn up? Lore team would say, “No, those peoples are documented to have never come to the Shire. So, no you can’t!” It’s that simple.
We try to be consistent with the lore at all times because somebody is going to find an example and make our lore guys sad, but we are very consistent. We’re very, very conscious of it but it’s never felt like a restriction. There’s plenty of places to color in, plenty of places to enrich, and plenty of richness from the page.
Justin: What’s the primary platform: Switch, Xbox, Playstation, or PC? Can you talk about the expected lifecycle of the game?
Morgan: All the ones! We have no favorite children. We have developed and designed from the very beginning with an integrated experience on PC and very great experience on consoles. We expect people to have a long and enjoyable experience with this, and we expect to have a long and enjoyable experience ourselves.
Postscript: NETFLIX just announced that Tales of the Shire is coming to iPhone and Android via Netflix Games.
That’s it for our Tales of the Shire Producer Q&A! Also check out Kellie’s report on the creative process of the game here. Pre-order or wishlist the game at all the usual places, and prepare to settle into some cosy🇬🇧 or cozy🇺🇸 gaming later this year.
On a blustery March afternoon in San Francisco, when the clouds skirting past the tall buildings threatened showers of rain amidst the bashful bouts of sunlight, a handful of wanderers tucked into an office nook for a chat about a game of special significance. Three had come all the way from New Zealand to attend the Game Developer’s Convention (GDC) for the week, while two of the travelers were California locals. It was a merry meeting indeed, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to ask some questions about the upcoming video game Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game™.
Hailed as the first “cozy” game set in the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, Tales of the Shire is highly anticipated by fans of the gaming genre and The Lord of the Rings afficionados alike. Made in partnership with Private Division, Wētā Workshop are creating a Tolkien experience unlike any other, centered on the quaint, quiet lives of Hobbits in the Shire.
“This is our love letter to Middle-earth,” said Calliope Ryder, the lead games producer for Wētā Workshop, “looking at it through really cosy eyes. We wanted to build something that was about the Shire, that was about Hobbits, with a visual look no one had seen before. There’s a strong narrative and strong elements of gameplay, but the most important part is that it’s peaceful. It’s about slow Hobbit living.”
Hobbitcore delight
Anyone who has followed my webseries Happy Hobbit on YouTube knows that my sister, family, and friends have been all about “slow Hobbit living” and celebrating a simple life for over a decade now. This game was music to my ears. “It sounds like it’s pure Hobbitcore,” I gushed.
“We are very keen to make all the Hobbitcore people happy,” said Morgan Jaffit, Executive Producer, with a broad smile. “That’s very important to us.”
“Hobbitcore” refers to an aesthetic similar to Cottagecore, highlighting slow living, simple food, friendship with the earth, gardening, cozy settings, and of course, quaint adventures: in short, anything that falls under the umbrella of living like a Hobbit in a romanticized fashion.
While Tales of the Shire is far from the first game set in Middle-earth, its gameplay is unique. Previous games such as the wildly successful Shadow of Mordor (2014) produced by Monolith Studios and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, and its sequel Shadow of War (2017) involve gameplay centered on violence, stealth, and killing. While there is a place for such slasher games, having an alternative focused on Hobbits, food, and community is a wonderfully therapeutic accompaniment.
Diversity in gaming
Perhaps it is the female-dominated realm of Cottagecore content giving this impression, but I had a preconceived notion that cozy games, such as my current favorite Wylde Flowers by Studio Drydock, were largely the realm of female gamers, which isn’t the case. As Ryder explained, “If we think about it in demographic terms, the stats that I’ve seen previously say that cosy is roughly 60% women. I think you’d be surprised by the diversity in the cosy setting; It’s more about what motivation that player has to be there, and that’s what we try to deliver.”
These assumptions are not without merit. For decades, gaming was a male-dominated realm, filled with games made by boys for boys. While the gaming industry is still a notoriously toxic space for women, progress is being made, and Ryder’s career is living proof. While plenty of women enjoy slasher games, cozy games have the appeal of being simpler in nature so that, while perfectly suited to longer gaming sessions, one may dip in for 20 minutes between other responsibilities and still feel satisfied having achieved a bit of soothing escapism.
Therapeutic escape
This need for therapeutic virtual spaces became prominent during the global pandemic. The concept for the game was born out of a desire to escape into the Shire amidst the uncertainty and fear of 2020.
“That’s one of the initial inspirations to make Tales of the Shire,” explained Ryder. “It sort of sprang up around that time, and there was this big cosy Cottagecore boom at the time because people want to connect with nature. This was our version of looking at what we know, which is TheLord of the Rings and Middle-earth, [and asking], how can we create something that really gives back, and gives people an escapist experience in a place that they would really want to go to, and leans into that Cottagecore and Hobbitcore aesthetic?”
Make no mistake, this is the game I have been waiting for nearly all my life. “To me, it sounds therapeutic.”
“Exactly,” Ryder replied. “I play cosy games to relax or to process things. And this is a game in which we want people to feel like they can unwind and chill in the Shire.”
Lingering in the Shire
Before the announcement of Tales of the Shire, the closest Tolkien gamers could get to cozy virtual Hobbit content was The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) produced by Standing Stone Games and Middle-earth Enterprises, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. While segments of LOTRO take place in Hobbiton, and there is certainly much Shire exploration in the open world of the MMORPG, the gameplay centers around quests and is lovingly loyal to the novels, where little time is spent in the idyllic countryside dotted with Hobbit holes and kitchen gardens.
“The engine that drives everything when you look at the journeys across both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings is this love of time and place, and it came from Tolkien’s passionate reminiscing of the world that he grew up in,” explained Jaffit. “We don’t spend much time in the Shire on the screen or in the novels, but it’s always there because it’s the thing that drives the engine of everything else. It’s the special thing about which you have a sense of loss, and a sense of wanting, and a sense of home. The Shire is the place that you actually don’t spend much time in but is constantly romanticized. So why not build something there? Everyone’s talking about it all the time. Live there? Yeah!”
Childhood inspiration
Jaffit’s enthusiasm is palpable and doesn’t just originate from a love of a fictional locale. Growing up on a farm in Victoria, Australia, he and his large family, “worked on the land and worked with horses in a small country town. Certainly, my upbringing is about rural town living and what that means. And this is a game about rural living and what that means, and it means something very special because it’s also progressively fading away.”
“Not to make my childhood sound incredibly idyllic,” Ryder added, “but I also grew up on farms in the Waikato region of New Zealand which, if you know much about TheLord of the Rings films, is in the same region the Shire was filmed. Something that would make me really happy is if players can feel just a little bit of what I felt when I was growing up feeding chickens, when I was only this big,” Ryder paused to hold her hand a few feet up from the floor. “They were actually terrifying dinosaurs!”
Having likewise grown up with a family garden, chickens, horses, and other livestock, I have a keen connection with the land and forest surrounding my home. Many people are not as fortunate to have had the same experiences as we three, and providing a digital space for others to connect with an agricultural lifestyle, the cycle of the seasons, and living in friendship with the Earth is a means of keeping a fading way of life alive and accessible.
“I really want our players to get a sense of the best bits captured in my memory of what it was like growing up in Waikato, New Zealand,” said Ryder.
“As we lose our living links to the past, we see that resurgence in interest as we realize that we have to ask for those stories from our parents or else miss the opportunity to hear them,” explained Jaffit. “You have to ask about the stories of the people you meet, otherwise you miss the living link.”
Return to a pre-industrialized world
The irony of discussing how Tolkien created the Shire out of nostalgia for the pre-industrialized world of his childhood, as we shared our mutual love of farm life in that room in San Francisco, against the backdrop of the Silicon Valley, surrounded by skyscrapers representing “big tech,” was not lost on anyone. “We live in such a busy world,” I offered, “and in a world where there’s so much negativity being crammed down our throats from every angle. I think that the timing couldn’t be better for a game like this.”
“It’s a bit bleak that ever since we started, we were being like ‘oh, the timing couldn’t be better,’ but it’s still like that. Now the timing really couldn’t be better,” agreed Ryder. “People need this cosy game. People need cosy things and people need that link [to the natural world] you are describing, and I really hope that they will get a little taste of that experience.”
While not everyone can have access to idyllic spaces like the Shire in real life, a virtual experience brought to life by Wētā Workshop is the next best alternative.
“Wētā Workshop is better at place than anybody on the planet,” said Jaffit. “What this game is about is building a place that is warm and gentle and beautiful, that you can get to visit and be inside and understand and appreciate. I think it’s really special.”
Handcrafted with care
“This game in particular feels very handcrafted,” Ryder elaborated. “So even though we have this enormous IP that is beloved world over, it’s a very handcrafted, loving take on an experience that feels more indie. Many of us working on the game haven’t come from film, or haven’t had other experiences with LOTR, but we do come from the indie scene, and we really infuse that love and care and the closeness that we want to build with community in an organic way.”
“It is a very ‘creativity first’ approach,” I offered, and both Ryder and Jaffit agreed. As a former Wētā Workshop crew member myself (helping pen Middle-earth from Script to Screen with Daniel Falconer), I greatly admire the way the Company not only honors but celebrates the creative process and collaboration. The team behind Tales of the Shire was able to draw upon Tolkien experts Daniel Falconer and Sir Richard Taylor for feedback as the game was developed, to ensure attention to detail and accuracy; both of which are incredibly important to a fanbase known for its love of lore.
Well-known characters – and a mystery duck
Set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, Tales of the Shire promises to have some familiar faces appear. While we seem to have already glimpsed the Wizard Gandalf in the teaser trailer, Tolkien fleshed out a great many of the Shire locals, and gamers can expect to encounter them. “We have some more [obvious characters] I think most people will recognize from the world they know, and then we have a lot of subtler ones for the hardcore fans who are really deep into the lore… and you’ll have some moments with them.”
One seemingly original character who caught the imagination of fans from the very first images released from the game is a duck wearing a Dwarven helmet. TheOneRing.net’s Discord and broader social media in general has been alive with speculation over the mystery duck. “Yeah, she is in herself a bit of a tease of something to come that we haven’t seen yet,” shared Ryder. “She’s a hint. She’s the Easter egg. She’s got a name. I won’t give you a name right now, but she has one.”
While the identity of this Mystery Duck remains a closely guarded secret for now, the presence of other fine-feathered friends didn’t escape my Hobbit senses. “In both teasers, the sound effects of chickens are featured heavily,” I said, before going in for what is likely the burning question all fans want answered. “Can we expect chickens to be integral to the game?”
“They will,” Ryder laughed. “Maybe not as much as we’ve hinted, but they are definitely there. Yeah, we have had quite a bit of fun.”
The full trailer for the game and release date have yet to be announced, so I remain in suspense amidst my fellow gamers as to the role of chickens and the identity of the Mystery Duck in Tales of the Shire.
Tales of the Shire will be available on PC and consoles, with a mobile version to be released via Netflix. Watch the announcement trailer below.
Kellie is known as “Kili” on Happy Hobbit, but also writes Fantasy novels and hosts a podcast under her pen name, K.M. Rice.
April 22, 2024 – This week in LOTR news, big business moves and huge reveals. Tales of the Shire Trailer reactions, Embracer rebrands as Middle-earth, Rings of Power cast reunite, LOTR returns to cinemas.
Tales of the Shire gets a teaser trailer
After three years of secret development, Weta Workshop and Private Division finally revealed the look and feel of their new cozy video game Tales of the Shire. Watch the whole trailer on YouTube and see the full announcement in an early post.
Reactions were swift coming in from Happy Hobbit (watch) and Nerd of the Rings (watch). Speaking of, Matt got an exclusive tour of the Weta Workshop games office in NZ, which you can watch below.
Embracer splits into three separate units
Embracer Group, which acquired Middle-earth Enterprises a couple years ago for $395 million (see the deal announcement here) have decided to split the company up into three unique entities, each publicly traded on Swedish NASDAQ.
Asmodee Group — board and card games
Coffee Stain & Friends — publishing & development for live service / indie / AA games
Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends — franchise management and AAA game development
“Friends” of Middle-earth include Embracer-owned Tomb Raider and Dark Horse Comics, as well as many other established big game developers and franchises. While these company names are temporary/holding per the press releases, there is clear positioning to put LOTR rights at the forefront. This will also be the first time regular fans will be able to buy and trade stock in Middle-earth Enterprises. Read more about why this is happening with this interview with the CEO.
Rings of Power cast reunite in London
Ismael Cruz Cordova, the breakout star of season one as Arondir the elf, posted pics with Tyroe Muhafidin, Owain Arthur, Sophia Nomvete and other cast members in London. Could marketing for Season 2 finally be about to start?
It’s really charming to see the cast of LOTR shows and movie grow to be ongoing friends in life.
DUNE Part Two Cinematographer chat with TORN!
Oscar-winning cinematographer Greig Fraser chatted with TORN Tuesday about the Australia and NZ film industry, the legacy of Andrew Lesnie, and recent work on The Batman, The Mandalorian, and Dune. Plus, a wild story about Peter Jackson on set for the Darth Vader scene in Rogue One. Watch on YouTube or below.
Dune Part Two is back in IMAX cinemas and available to buy/rent VOD.
The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions coming to U.S. Cinemas
Fathom Events are bringing the 3+ hour long Extended Editions of all three The Lord of the Rings movies to cinemas across the USA June 8, 9, 10. Check your local AMC / Cinemark / Regal or local theater for tickets.
Private Division and Weta Workshop have today shared a trailer for their upcoming sim game, Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game. It’s a bucolically blissful as you might expect; see for yourself:
Coming in the second half of 2024, Tales of the Shire will be available for Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Here’s what the official press release tell us:
Welcome Home, Hobbit! Private Division and Wētā Workshop Announce Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game
Upcoming cosy The Lord of the Rings game set in the Middle-earth universe inspired by the books of J.R.R. Tolkien arrives later this year
New York, NY – April 22, 2024 – Private Division, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Wētā Workshop, known for their work on the world of Middle-earth for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, today revealed Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, a cosy Hobbit life sim set in the Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien. Developed by Wētā Workshop Game Studio, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wētā Workshop, Tales of the Shire will launch in the second half of 2024 on the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
In Tales of the Shire, experience the storybook return to Middle-earth’s most inviting region by living life as a Hobbit in the idyllic town of Bywater. Unwind in the breathtaking pastures, visit the townsfolks’ local shops, or even enjoy second breakfast. Help bring the community together and achieve official village status by throwing the greatest Bywater Festival the Shire has ever seen!
“We’re excited to provide players with the opportunity to fulfil their fantasy of living their own humble Hobbit life in the Shire,” said Kelly Tyson, Head of Product at Wētā Workshop. “Tales of the Shire brings a cosy new dimension to the way fans can experience Middle-earth, with plenty of wholesome, Hobbit- centric gameplay to win-over newcomers to the genre.”
Create and personalise a Hobbit with an array of customisations to experience the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Middle-earth universe your own way. Settle in and decorate a cosy Hobbit home, choosing from an array of furniture and home décor to create your unique, humble abode. Then head outdoors to Bywater for plenty of cooking, fishing, foraging, gardening, and more relaxing activities in the Shire. Toss your lure to catch trout from the glistening waters of Bywater Pool, gather wild mushrooms, and then use the collected ingredients to bake a succulent pie to serve for luncheon. With a full belly, stroll back outside to explore the Shire and build relationships with the Bywater locals by helping them to build a garden, sharing one of the many daily Hobbit meals, and more.
“The team at Wētā Workshop is creating a brilliant representation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved works that gives players the agency to create their own Hobbit experience in Middle-earth,” said Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer, Take-Two Interactive, and Head of Private Division. “Players have been clamoring for a warm and inviting The Lord of the Rings game for years now, and it’s exactly what we’re delivering with Tales of the Shire.”
It’s no surprise that a video game in which Weta Workshop have had a hand should be stunning to look at; here are some screenshots from the game:
Become a Hobbit, decorate your Hobbit hole, and then explore the Shire to your heart’s content; what could be better? Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game can’t come soon enough!
An exclusive sneak peek at some of the wild new playable cards in The Lord of the Rings x Magic: The Gathering holiday updates, courtesy of Wizards of the Coast. You’ve never seen Magic cards like these!
Announced at MagicCon Vegas this weekend, the hugely successful MTGxLOTR is getting a new creative expansion including these new borderless poster art cards. These playable cards include all the necessary details, from the cost at the top right to the effect description hand written. These new cards will be available randomly in the new Holiday Collector Packs.
We got the opportunity to ask art directors from Magic: The Gathering, Sarah Wassell and MTG Hall of Famer Mike Turian, about these new wild designs.
What inspired this path of creativity in the cards?
Sarah Wassell – “The LOTR poster art style is specific to a style of band poster that emerged during the counter culture movement in the US in the 1960s (Seymour Chwast, Pushpin Studios, etc etc. There was a three book LOTR set published with amazing cover art by Barbara Remington that was a cult hit on US college campuses in the 1960s. This surge of interest fed directly into cultural moments with stadium rock bands referencing Tolkien in their lyrics in the 1970s. It’s incredible, the far-reaching effect of LOTR on fantasy and art and music, and we loved taking the space to honor one of the more surprising areas of Tolkien fandom through these “band posters.” And we love the chance to turn Magic cards with all their rule and mechanics into full poster art—it’s such a mind-bending way to approach a format that is so rigid that the elements can disappear through familiarity. “
These look unlike any other MTGxLOTR cards so far. Are they part of a broader artistic trends you are seeing come up?
Wassell – “Hopefully, the broad trend is that we continue to surprise and delight fans! Our goal for Magic art is to always work from a place of passion for the storytelling and characters and find new ways to visually express the lore of the set through connections to pop culture and all kinds of unexpected, nostalgic, or beloved ways of depicting the Magic sets we love so much.”
What has been the biggest surprise so far since initial release of LOTR?
Mike Turian – “The biggest surprise for me is just how the 1 of 1 Ring took on a life of its own. When we were making the card, that was always the vision behind doing a singular card to celebrate Magic and The Lord of the Rings coming together, we wanted to create something that would capture the imagination of fans and bring a piece of the novel to life. Still though, to see how it really did take off was something spectacular. And then, to actually have it pulled out of a pack, and ultimately end up in the hands of a superstar celebrity musician who loves playing Magic, I can’t imagine a better ending to that story!”
How do you find such creative artists?
Wassell – “We try to stay engaged in what is popular and exciting with fan art and pop art. We research art history and then approach our searches from current working artists who are inspired by exciting moments in art’s past. Mostly, we try to start from the source material of our internal world building team and game designers to amplify the exciting moments in a Magic set through the art that excites and inspires all of us in our day-to-day online and IRL journeys.”
Release Date
The new packs for The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Holiday Edition release November 3. Look for pre-orders through your favorite local game store.
