Cosy Lord Of The Rings Game 'Tales Of The Shire' Delayed, Will Arrive Precisely When It Means To

Image: Private Division

Just a couple of days after Wētā Workshop, the studio behind Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, announced it would be showing more of the game on 22nd September, the team has announced that it's been delayed to early 2025.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the New Zealand-based studio revealed that to ensure it delivers its vision, it's pushing the game's launch back to next year. Tales of the Shire didn't have a concrete release date, but it was due to launch this Holiday season.

More details about the date will be revealed at the Hobbit Day Showcase, which takes place on the aforementioned date.

Here's the statement in full:

"All of us here at Wētā Workshop are excited to have you join us in the Shire, a peaceful corner of J.R.R. Tolkien's world. When a new Hobbit steps into Bywater for the very first time, we want that moment to be everything you're hoping for.

To ensure we deliver that vision, Tales of the Shire will now be launching in early 2025.

Thank you for your patience and continued support. Be sure to tune in to our A Hobbit Day Showcase on September 22nd to learn more about Tales of the Shire and our new release date."

Originally revealed back in April, Tales of the Shire is a very different Lord of the Rings game — a kind of blend of Middle Earth and Animal Crossing. The big difference is that the game focuses on cooking and food, and there are lots of different cooking techniques you can use to make different types of food. We went hands-on with the game at Summer Game Fest and came away pleasantly surprised.

Well, as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy director Peter Jackson once said, "A video game is never late, nor is it early, it arrives precisely when it means to.” We might be taking some liberties there...

Are you disappointed with the delay? Let us know in the comments.