The ‘Tales of the Shire’ Video Game Has Been Delayed

The ‘Tales of the Shire’ was a promising upcoming video game set in the world of Middle-earth but more specifically Hobbiton and The Shire—as one can most likely guess! However, over the last few days we have received an update from the official X account that the game has been delayed until the 29th July 2025:

Tales of the Shire needs a bit more simmering… Now coming July 29th, 2025. Thank you for your support and patience.
#TalesOfTheShire #LOTR #cozygaming

This is the second delay for ‘The Tales of the Shire’ which was originally slated for Late 2024 but then got moved to March 2025 and now July 2025.

Also, Calliope Ryder the lead game producer for ‘Tales of the Shire’ and Wētā Workshop’s Game Studio mentioned in an Instagram post that she left Wētā in December after her role in the company got “disestablished”. We had the chance to speak to Calliope in an interview for the game last year. Calliope’s leaving/dismissal potentially points to no more games from the studio for the time being.

Furthermore, on February 6th Netflix also announced that it was dropping publishing the game on mobile platforms.

So it is fair to say that there has been quite a rocky road for the release of the game.

‘Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game’ is an upcoming life simulation game developed by Wētā Workshop, offering players an immersive experience into the daily life of Hobbits in Middle-earth. Set in the village of Bywater, adjacent to Hobbiton, the game allows players to create and customize their own Hobbit characters, engaging in various activities that define the serene Hobbit lifestyle. One can see example gameplay in previews done by Happy Hobbit and Nerd of the Rings.

Check out the official trailer here: