Tales of the Shire: Everything We Know

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is about to break off yet another piece of Lembas bread—in the shape of a video game, actually, to fill all those hungry hearts left to starve in the aftermath of the abysmal Gollum debut. And while we can’t say for certain what this so-called Tales of the Shire will be, let alone the themes it will adopt, we can say this: Middle-earth is on the rebound, and it’s cooking up something fresh for consoles and PC.

“We are thrilled to partner with Weta Workshop to publish a game set in such an extraordinary and celebrated universe,” said Private Division head Michael Worosz as part of a press release released back in August 2022. “The Lord of the Rings IP is home to so many remarkable stories, and no entity is better equipped than the team at Weta Workshop to create a distinctive, new Middle-earth gaming experience.”

Amie Wolken of Weta Workshop added, “It’s a privilege to create a new game set in Middle-earth, especially one that’s so different from what fans have played previously. As fans ourselves, we’re excited for gamers to explore Middle-earth in a way they never have before, and introduce new fans to the magic of The Lord of the Rings.”

So, introductory words out of the way, what more do you need to know about the so-called Tales of the Shire, other than the fact that both Private Division and Weta Workshop are planning to build it? Well, here’s everything we’ve been able to gather on the IP since first hearing of its existence last year. Let’s talk, fledgling Hobbits.

What Is Tales of the Shire?

Tales of the Shire is a “cozy” adventure game—one that will reportedly take place within the luscious and idyllic biomes of Middle-earth. As the title suggests, the game itself will focus on the Shire, as well as some of its most iconic landmarks and properties. But as for the events that will take shape in said biomes remains unclear, as it goes. We can thank Private Division and Weta Workshop’s radio silence for that one.

As it currently stands, there’s still a great deal we don’t actually know about Tales of the Shire, much less the story or gameplay elements that it will aim to feature. Rumor has it, though, that it will be targeting a global release for the upcoming fiscal year, so there’s a good chance that we’ll be seeing a bit more on the IP over the next several months.

Story

At the time of writing, we don’t really know what, if any at all, the story will be. It’ll tie in with the Shire and the Hobbits, though, so that’s a good start, at least. And according to the devs, it’ll be a “heart-warming” experience, too, so don’t go expecting it to be littered with any action, basically. It’ll be cozy—so expect something more along the lines of a farming sim or a visual novel.

Gameplay

As neither of the developers have shed light on the actual gameplay material yet, we can’t really say what sort of game Tales of the Shire will even be. That said, the general consensus is that it will be something of a farming simulation game, similar to Stardew Valley and My Time at Portia. It would make sense, to be fair, what with the studio advertising it as a “cozy” game set within the picturesque landscapes of the Shire. It’s also a concept that hasn’t really been explored before; we’ve had RPGs, MOBAs, and stealth-adventure entries, even — but nothing particularly farming-like. So, it’s definitely plausible.

Development

Your cosy Hobbit life awaits in Tales of the Shire, a heart-warming new The Lord of the Rings™ game by Wētā Workshop and Private Division. Coming 2024. pic.twitter.com/CvDnRXyMQN

— talesoftheshire (@talesoftheshire) September 21, 2023

Ever since Weta Workshop and Private Division announced their partnership back in August 2022, it was always in the cards—a new extension to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. And what a fitting partnership that turned out to be, too, what with Weta Workshop having quite the hand in crafting the set pieces for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and a myriad of other blockbuster favorites back in the early noughties.

It is worth pointing out that, while Weta Workshop is indeed a reputable design company, its video game division isn’t the most fleshed out. That said, since its inception back in 2014, the team has in fact gone on to create a mixture of both VR and AR-focused projects. As for how different the upcoming Tales of the Shire will be in comparison with its previous works remains unclear. Either way, we honestly couldn’t think of a better studio to assume the reins than Weta Workshop, given its close relationship with the franchise and what have you.

Trailer

As it turns out, there is actually a trailer of Tales of the Shire. And while it doesn’t quite touch base on the game’s mechanics or premise, it does, however, give us a peek at its “cozy” Shire-like aesthetics. That’ll do. You can check it out for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Tales of the Shire is currently scheduled to launch across consoles and PC via Steam at some point in 2024. At the time of its announcement, Weta Workshop didn’t highlight the exact consoles it would be releasing on, though the likelihood of it being on both Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 seems high. Unfortunately, until the devs shed light on the matter, we can’t really say for certain.

Interested in Tales of the Shire? If so, then be sure to check in with the team over on their official social feed for more updates here. If anything changes ahead of its global release, we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Tales of the Shire when it releases on consoles and PC next year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.