Have you ever dreamed of owning a plot of land in the Shire? Private Division and Wētā Workshop’s upcoming game, Tales of the Shire, can make that possible.
Wētā Workshop, the special effects and prop-making company behind the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, announced Monday that they were making the jump to game development with the upcoming cozy life-sim game set in the beloved realm of Middle-earth, in the land of the Shire.
In Tales of the Shire, players can fully customize their own Hobbit and become the newest resident of the village of Bywater, located in the Shire. You can customize your very own Hobbit hole, forage, fish, cook, and tend to your very own garden. The end goal (though we know with games like these, they don’t tend to ever “end”) is achieving official village status for Bywater by helping to plan the Bywater Festival.
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As teased in the all-new announcement trailer, which can be seen below, seasons will play a big part in the game. There will be seasonal crops to harvest, and certain bouts of weather will affect your daily Hobbit life. The developers have even hinted at seasonal surprises popping up during gameplay. Of course, you will also be able to explore outside Bywater and discover the secrets of the Shire.
Tales of the Shire does not have a set release date yet. However, the game companies gave a 2024 release window, so it’s likely to be released in the last half of the year. It was confirmed that the game is coming to Xbox Series X, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
