The Lord of the Rings: Gollum developer apologises for game quality

Daedalic Entertainment has issued a public apology over the game's launch state.
lord of the rings gollum apology daedalic entertainment

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum developer Daedalic Entertainment has apologised for the state of the game at its launch, expressing a deep regret that it didn’t meet player expectations, or live up to the pedigree of the Lord of the Rings franchise.

When Gollum launched in late May 2023, it was met with extremely low critical reviews, prompting warnings about its poor technical state, and the overall design of the game.

‘We would like to sincerely apologise for the underwhelming experience many of you have had with The Lord of the Ring: Gollum [sic] upon its release,’ Daedalic Entertainment said. ‘We acknowledge and deeply regret that the game did not meet the expectations we set for ourselves or for our dedicated community. Please accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment this may have caused.’

‘Our goal as a studio, and as passionate The Lord of the Rings fans, has always been to tell a compelling and immersive story-driven adventure. Crafting a story with Middle-earth as our playground has been the greatest honour – and the biggest challenge we have faced so far.’

Read: The Lord of the Rings: Gollum review roundup

According to Daedalic, the team has spent the time since the game’s release reading comments, analysing constructive criticism, and gathering reports of issues to be addressed in upcoming patches. Daedalic has committed to fixing the many technical bugs identified in the game, in the hopes of allowing players to ‘enjoy the game to its fullest potential.’

At this stage, it’s currently unclear how far-reaching these planned updates will be, given reports seem to identify a plethora of issues with the game that go far beyond simple bug fixes. Many reviews criticised the game for its menial task-based gameplay, slim story, nonsensical mechanics, muddy graphics, and poor stealth design – all fundamental aspects that will be difficult to resolve.

Regardless, Daedalic has promised work on the game will continue, with transparent communication and progress updates to follow.

With the studio allegedly given a recent grant to create more games in the Lord of the Rings franchise, per reporting from Games Wirtschaft, the company’s next steps are likely to be watched closely. Stay tuned to hear more from Daedalic Entertainment as it begins to address the mountain of criticism facing the recently-released Gollum.

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.