New details have come to light about the upcoming Lord of the Rings game focused on Gollum. In a FAQ posted on Steam, developer Daedalic answered some of the questions asked most by fans, beginning with the question of if LOTR: Gollum is an official Lord of the Rings game.
It is, the developer confirmed, adding that “all elements” of the title have been approved by Middle-earth Enterprises, the company that licenses the series. Middle-earth Enterprises is also working with Electronic Arts on a new Lord of the Rings mobile game that was just recently announced.
As for the story, Gollum takes place in parallel to the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, touching on events like Gollum’s time in Mordor, his capture by Sauron, and his interrogation by Gandalf. “During this time, although very little is known about Gollum’s adventures, there was enough to give us an excellent outline and timeframe for the setting,” the studio said.
The developer also explained why it chose Gollum to be the focus of the story in the first place, saying he is “one of the most fascinating characters” that Tolkien created.
“A twisted Hobbit with two personalities, hundreds of years old; and with a rich knowledge of Middle-earth. Despite his looks he’s also an agile creature that can climb, leap, and grapple his way past dangers or into advantageous spots,” the studio said. “This makes for an epic adventure through exciting never-seen-before parts of Middle-earth, and leads the player to interesting moral choices, and varied gameplay, alternating platforming and stealth.”
As for why Gollum in the game doesn’t look like Gollum in Peter Jackson’s films, the developer said it wanted to create its own unique take on Gollum and Middle-earth in general. We also learn who voices Gollum in the game: Wayne Forester, who has done voice work for games like Elden Ring and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
The game is gearing up to launch this fall and more details on gameplay are coming “soon,” the studio said. Finally, Daedalic said there will not be a collector’s edition, but it will offer a digital deluxe edition, the contents of which will be announced later. The minimum and recommended system requirements, too, are still to come.
Earlier this year, Daedalic was acquired by Nacon. As part of the announcement, Nacon teased that Daedalic’s Gollum game might be just the first project with the Lord of the Rings license.
“In 2019, Daedalic Entertainment first announced its collaboration with Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of The Saul Zaentz Company. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is the first video game to be born out of the partnership, with scope for more new experiences in the future,” Nacon said.
The video game rights to The Lord of the Rings are now on sale, so in addition to Daedalic and EA, there could potentially be other new games on the way, though this remains to be seen.
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