Tolkienheads rejoice! Amazon Games and Middle-earth Enterprises have entered an agreement for the former to develop and publish a new The Lord of the Rings MMORPG, based on the stories in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The new agreement follows Embracer Group’s acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises and the rights to the works by extension.

• Related Reading: The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Has Gone Gold Ahead of May 26 Release

The Embracer Group’s CEO Lars Wingefors revealed in October that his company is thinking “decades ahead” vis-a-vis the future of The Lord of the Rings IP. That vision includes the new Gollum-centered AAA game as well as the “Heroes of Middle-earth” turn-based mobile title, and is now being expanded with this new deal with Amazon Games that will see the latter create an MMORPG through its Orange County studio (which was responsible for the New World MMO).

From Rich Lawrence, director of the Orange County studio:

The number-one thing about a property like this is that you have to be respectful and authentic. When somebody is a fan of The Lord of the Rings and sits down and plays [this MMORPG] for the first time, they have to say, ‘This was crafted by a bunch of people who lived in this world just like I do in my head. They get it. We understand this world. The people working on this team love these works. We’re right there with you; we’re fans, and we want to make a game that we, as fans, will enjoy.

It’s going to be a game that represents the values and enjoyment that people get out of these books. This will be a game that’s bespoke to the property, that’s appropriate for The Lord of the Rings.

Elsewhere, Daedalic Entertainment’s The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is all set for a May 26 release. Check out the story trailer released in March, featuring Gandalf and Ringwraiths alike in pursuit of the elusive Hobbit mutant.