GamesSimulationTales of the ShireTales of the Shire: Everything we know about the upcoming Lord of the Rings gameWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSimulationTales of the ShireTales of the Shire: Everything we know about the upcoming Lord of the Rings gameWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Private Division)
Revealed earlier this year from developer Weta Workshop Game Studio - a subsidiary of Weta Workshop best known for working on the Lord of the Rings movies - the storybook life sim set in Middle-earth gives off someStardew Valleyvibes and promises to be a great entry point for newcomers alongside longtime fans of Tolkien’s universe.
From everything we’ve seen so far, it’s already fast becoming one of the most excitingnew gamesfor us to look forward to. And, although the game is now delayed to 2025, it still plans to release across multiple platforms, making it also among the most anticipatedupcoming PS5 games,upcoming Xbox Series X games,upcoming PC games, andnew Switch games.
Read on below for a full recap of everything we know so far about Tales of the Shire.
Tales of the Shire release date
(Image credit: Private Division)
The Tales of the Shire release date has been confirmed asMarch 25, 2025. This news came our way on Hobbit Day (aka September 22), along with a wave of new footage and early reviews.
Originally, the publisher, Private Division, had said that we’d get to start our Hobbit story in 2024. However, this was pushed back as the new game simply needs more time to be perfected. What’s more, Tales of the Shire will be available across PC and console platforms alike, as well as on Nintendo Switch.
So you’ll be able to play the cozy Lord of the Rings game on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
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Tales of the Shire Early Access
(Image credit: Private Division)
With life simulators and cozy games like Tales of the Shire, it’s not uncommon for titles to launch into Early Access, and introduce new features gradually over months while the full release hangs back - just look at Reka, the latest addition togames like Stardew Valleyto play on PC, which released in Early Access on September 12, 2024.
However, there’s zero indication that Tales of the Shire will receive an Early Access launch as of right now. The full game will be arriving simultaneously across console, PC, and Nintendo Switch platforms in 2025. However, there’s nothing to say there might not be post-launch support with new features for Tales of the Shire after it debuts.
Tales of the Shire trailer
Tales of the Shire - Official Teaser - YouTubeWatch On
Tales of the Shire - Official Teaser - YouTube
Tales of the Shire - Official Teaser - YouTube
Right now, we only have three Tales of the Shire trailers to go off, and you can see two of them in full for yourself here. The first trailer above is the one used to announce the game, and so it’s more conceptual in general - you don’t get a look at gameplay, for example.
However, down below, you’ll get to see a more in-depth teaser that shows several mechanics like fishing, cooking, and more. We even get a look at some iconic Lord of the Rings characters like Gandalf!
Tales of the Shire gameplay
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings⢠Game â Nintendo Direct 6.18.2024 - YouTubeWatch On
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings⢠Game â Nintendo Direct 6.18.2024 - YouTube
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings⢠Game â Nintendo Direct 6.18.2024 - YouTube
The above trailer is a really good look at how Tales of the Shire is going to play, and the general speed and rhythm of the game. In short, as you might not be surprised to hear, it’s likely going to be a slow-moving adventure, just like we’ve come to expect from farming sims like Stardew Valley and such.
As we mentioned in ourTales of the Shire preview, the upcoming game stands out thanks to its cooking mechanics. Instead of just making sure you have all the needed ingredients in your inventory when it comes to crafting a dish, you can chop, fry, and season your food - which will result in different textures. Getting the right combinations and serving the best plates at your Hobbit dinner parties is the main focus of the game, currently.
While our first taste of Tales of the Shire wasn’t perfect (with its heavy focus on fetch-quests and sometimes non-cozy weather animations), it is still promising. Honestly, with a little more fine-tuning, we may just have a new entry to thebest Lord of the Rings gameson our hands here.
Is Tales of the Shire multiplayer?
(Image credit: Private Division)
It’s also worth pointing out that we probably shouldn’t hold out hope for a multiplayer mode further down the line. Adding a multiplayer mode for any game isn’t as simple as flicking a switch - there’s servers to purchase and maintain and features to adjust and fine tune, for example. Let’s not get our hopes up for now.
Tales of the Shire news
(Image credit: Private Division)
For recommendations, you can play right now; here’s our pick of thebest simulator games.Or, if you want more Middle-earth fun, check out our in-depth guide onThe Rings of Power season 2.
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