Summary
- The PlayStation 5 version of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria has been delayed, disappointing fans who were anticipating its release on October 24.
- The release schedule for the game is split by platform, with the PC version still set to launch on October 24 and the PS5 version delayed until December 5. The Xbox Series X/S version is tentatively planned for early 2024.
- Developer Free Range Games only gave a brief explanation for the delay, stating that it needs additional time to "improve various aspects" of the PS5 version.
The PlayStation 5 version of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria has been delayed just days ahead of its scheduled release date. Anticipation has been growing for the co-op survival game, a Lord of the Rings spin on the popular Deep Rock Galactic mining. But with its October 24 release date looming, publisher North Beach Games has had to share unfortunate news. While The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria remains on schedule on PC, the PS5 version of the game won't be arriving as planned.
Developer Free Range Games is a veteran team with a diverse library of past projects. While its own games, which include Spelldrifter, MVP Football: The Patrick Mahomes Experience, and Rube Goldberg Workshop, have had limited success, its support for projects like Oddworld: Soulstorm and The Callisto Protocol have helped it take on more ambitious projects. The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is Free Range's biggest project yet.
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The original release plans for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria had the survival game launching on PC via the Epic Games Store and on PS5 starting October 24. Unfortunately, North Beach confirmed that it will not be launching on PS5 as planned. The new release date for Return to Moria is now December 5, at which point in time the game will be available both digitally and physically.
As for why The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is being delayed on PS5, only a brief explanation was given. Additional time is necessary for Free Range to "improve various aspects" of the PS5 version. The six-week delay will allow the development team to elevate Return to Moria to the "highest possible quality" on PS5. With that said, both North Beach and Free Range do apologize for the delay.
For the time being, the release schedule for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is split by platform. The PC version is still planned to launch on October 24. The PS5 version will follow on December 5. The Xbox Series X/S version is tentatively planned to launch in early 2024, though it's not unreasonable to assume it could be delayed further.
It's not abnormal for console versions of games to be delayed beyond their arrival on PC. Part of the reason why is that PC players are often more comfortable with less polished experiences, allowing the developer to continue working on the project as its console release approaches. It could also just be as simple as distribution for the game or online server scaling needing more time. Either way, the PS5 version of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria needs more time, and console players can hopefully be patient.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria launches on PC on October 24, on PS5 on December 5, and in early 2024 on Xbox Series X/S.