The Lord of the Rings: Gollum finally has a new release window: between April and September 2023. The news was shared in the latest earnings report from publisher Nacon, which flagged the ‘first half of FY 2023-24’ as the likely window for launch.
While this does mean the game has been delayed yet again – it was expected in the first half of 2023 – there’s still hope this new, wider window represents the final pushback. This Lord of the Rings spin-off was originally expected to land in 2021, and has since been forced back, several months for each publicly announced delay.
According to developer Daedalic Entertainment, the latest delay is to polish the game to meet player expectations, and ensure a smooth experience.
‘During the past several years, the team has been working hard to share our vision of a remarkable story, set in a breathtaking world, filled with magic and wonder,’ Daedalic said of the delay. ‘We are dedicated to meeting our community’s expectations and uncovering the untold story of Gollum in a way that honours the vision of J.R.R. Tolkien.’
Read: Amazon boss explains why new Lord of the Rings MMO was cancelled
Early previews from Eurogamer and other websites have described Gollum as ‘one big puzzle’ – a unique stealth adventure that spotlights the various terrains of Mordor and other iconic Lord of the Rings locations from a brand new perspective.
In the game, players will guide former Ring bearer Gollum on a post-Hobbit quest through the Misty Mountains, into Barad-dûr, Mirkwood, and Mordor as he fights with his alternating personalities, and works to overcome attacks from Orcs and other creatures.
Early looks at the action have shown off creeping, slow exploration, plenty of rocky, tense regions, and even glimpses at famous Tolkien characters – including Gandalf and Thranduil, the Elvenking.
Players will see a whole new interpretation of Tolkien’s world when The Lord of the Rings: Gollum finally launches – whenever that happens to be.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum launches for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and
