Tomb Raider Continues Development While the Lord of the Rings MMO is Reported as Canceled in Amazon Layoffs
Recently, Amazon has done some major layoffs, causing uncertainty about all its gaming projects. Tomb Raider is said to be continuing development for the upcoming game, but it has been rumored that the LOTR MMO was cut as part of those reductions.
Tomb Raider Development is Still On Track
Worries among fans have raised in connection with the widespread layoffs and budget cuts at Amazon Games. A reassuring message concerning several key projects was, however, issued by Steve Boom, Amazon's head of audio, Twitch, and games.
Boom has confirmed that the cooperation with Crystal Dynamics in connection with developing the new Tomb Raider game is proceeding. This shows that the project is in progress in spite of internal reorganization within Amazon.
Game details remain scant, but it is known to be single-player utilizes Epic's Unreal Engine 5. Rumors indicate it has open-world features, although this has not been confirmed officially by Crystal Dynamics. However, the larger strategic decisions by Amazon could also affect the future of the project.
Lord of the Rings MMO Canceled for the Second Time
Unlike its counterpart, the Lord of the Rings MMO was by no means that lucky. The cancellation of the game was confirmed on a post to LinkedIn by Ashleigh Amrine, a former senior gameplay engineer at Amazon Game Studios.
"Today I was laid off with all my incredibly talented coworkers on New World and our fledgling Lord of the Rings game by Amazon Games," Amrine wrote, confirming the axing of the project.
It marks the second cancellation of the LOTR MMO. After its first cancellation due to a contract dispute with Tencent, the project was revived in 2023. Steve Boom's note also stated that Amazon is halting first party development on MMOs, placing further weight to the cancellation reports.
The game was supposedly in very early stages of development. This initial status would have made it a perfect candidate for cuts since Amazon is trying to trim costs within its gaming division, which too has ceased further development on New World: Aeternum. Amazon has not made any official announcement yet regarding the cancellation of the LOTR MMO.
