Last week, members of the development team Free Range Games, Dr. Corey Olsen “The Tolkien Professor,” and the YouTube channel Nerd of the Rings got together and took a deep dive into the latest updates around Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria’s ongoing development. With the plans still set for the game to be published by North Beach Games in Spring 2023, it’s a good time to get a closer look at the game so far.

During the sneak peek live stream, the group discussed the game’s lore, set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, takes center stage, touching on topics including where The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria fits in the timeline, how dwarven history and society will be portrayed in-game, insight around the “small” details the team is committed to integrating for a truly authentic experience for lore buffs, and many of the potential dangers that await players deep in the Mines of Moria. The roundtable also revealed new environments, along with the riches and resources they hold for the discerning Dwarf, gameplay elements including plans for character customization via the Comprehensive Dwarf Creator, and how using procedural generation will ensure each adventure into the unknown is a unique experience.

In this game, the story takes players beyond the books and into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the fantastical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer, players take control of a company of Dwarves tasked to reclaim the lost spoils from the Dwarven homeland of Moria—known as Khazad-dûm or Dwarrowdelf—in the depths below their very feet. Their quest will require fortitude, delving deep into the Mines of Moria to recover its treasures. Players will join forces to survive, craft, build and explore the iconic, sprawling mines. Courageous expeditioners will need to be vigilant as mysterious dangers await.

If you missed the live stream, you can watch the full video below!