Summary
Developer Weta Workshop is currently at work producing the upcoming Hobbit life simulatorTales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game. Set in the world of theLord of the Ringsbooks, players will be able to live the ideal life of a Hobbit. This includes completing tasks such as farming, fishing, and decorating Hobbit-holes in the emerging Hobbiton village of Bywater. WhileTales of the Shireis expected to be released sometime in 2024, there’s already potential for the game to explore other parts of Middle-earth with future DLCs.
The Setting of Tales of the Shire
It’s unknown whenTales of the Shireexactly takes place in theLord of the Ringstimeline, but Weta Workshop did tease that players might encounter some iconic characters in the game. InTales of the Shire’s official announcement trailer, a Hobbit encounters what appears to be Gandalf the Grey, a frequent visitor of Hobbiton in the books. Presumably, Gandalf is the narrator of the trailer as well. Given Gandalf the Grey’s appearance in the game,Tales of the Shirecould be set anytime before the end of theFellowship of the Ring.
With the exception of Smaug’s attack on Erebor inThe Hobbit, this was a time of relative peace for all of Middle-earth. This peacetime could potentially allowWeta Workshop to expandTales of the Shireinto other regions of Middle-earth. No combat of any kind is expected to be featured inTales of the Shire.
Despite multiple Hobbits being featured inTales of the Shire’s promotional material,Tales of the Shireis a single-player Hobbit life simulator game expected to be released sometime in 2024.
Potential Tales of the Shire DLCs
IfTales of the Shireis set during the peacetime beforeThe Hobbit, one potential DLC could have the player venture to Erebor, the Dwarf kingdom underneath the Lonely Mountain that later gets taken by Smaug. The player could venture there to trade produce for valuable jewels and metals for decor crafting. They could even help mine these resources through Erebor’s intricate mining systems. Along the way, the player could possibly trade with the neighboring human cities of Dale and Lake-town. This could be a way for players to get rare decorative bells and toys, commodities that Dale is famous for. In terms of Lake-town, this could be a way to trade and find rare kinds of fish.
No matterifTales of the Shireis set before or afterThe Hobbit, the player could also visit nearby Elvish communities through DLC. Players can travel to the Mirkwood Woodland Realm of the Wood Elves to trade for rare wooden decorations and forest-based food. The player could speak with some Elves and learn to forage for rare mushrooms or perhaps scarce fish found in the forest’s rivers. Similarly, the player could travel to Rivendell and visit Elrond or even a young Aragorn. Here players could trade for rare Elvish items to decorate their Hobbit-hole with or learn to bake some Lembas bread.
A Mordor Halloween DLC
WhileTales of the Shireis expected to be a peaceful game, Weta Workshop could still have some fun in making a Mordor-themed DLC. Players could possibly disguise themselves as Orcs and travel to Mordor to trade for some Mordor-themed decorations. Weta Workshop could also organize a Mordor-themed Halloween celebration in Bywater for players to get Orcish clothes or decor. If Weta Workshop wants to really go into a Mordor DLC, perhaps the DLC could have gamers play as an Orc or a Nazgul to build up a Mordor base.
Potential Tales of the Shire Sequels and Cameos
IfTales of the Shireis successful enough, Weta Workshop could make sequels with other species as the protagonists. For instance, a potential sequel could be called Tales of the Dwarves and have people play and live as Dwarves in a giganticmine city similar toThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Likewise, another sequel could be Tales of the Elves where people play as Elves in Rivendell or one of the other Elvish kingdoms. There could even be a Tales of Mordor game, though that one may not be as tranquil as the previously mentioned games.
Throughout these numerous potential DLCs and sequels, several fan-favoriteLord of the Ringscharacters could appear.In the baseTales of the Shiregame, if it’s set after The Hobbit, Bilbo could help Bywater flourish and connect with neighboring communities. If an Erebor or Mirkwood DLC is made, players could encounter the Dwarf King Dain or Legolas. Furthermore, if a Mordor DLC is made, players could meet the Mouth of Sauron or the Witch-king of Angmar. There’s endless potential withTales of the Shireand beyond in the world of theLord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
