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An unofficial confirmation has surfaced suggesting a sequel to The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is in development. The tip comes from a former Free Range Games executive whose LinkedIn description referenced post-production work on the original game and its follow-up — a flourish that has fans and industry observers speculating about the studio's next move.
What the LinkedIn hint revealed
According to reports, an ex-executive from Free Range Games — a California-based independent studio — noted on LinkedIn that they oversaw post-production for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria "and its sequel," alongside an unannounced $100 million project with a 130-person team. While the mention stopped short of a formal studio announcement, it’s a notable signal: the original game launched in 2023 and performed well enough to justify continued investment.
Two big projects for Free Range Games
Between the rumored sequel and the reported new IP backed by a heavyweight budget, Free Range appears to be juggling two major initiatives. One is the follow-up to a successful Tolkien-licensed title; the other is a large-scale, high-budget project that hasn't been revealed yet. For an indie studio, that scale of ambition is striking.
Durin’s Folk DLC arrives ahead of the sequel
While fans wait for official sequel news, Free Range Games is preparing Durin’s Folk, a premium expansion for Return to Moria. Scheduled for release on November 18, 2025, the DLC promises roughly 20 hours of new gameplay across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
- New region: Durin’s Tower — fresh places to explore and secrets to uncover.
- Hireable characters with unique abilities to expand your expedition roster.
- Trading camps near the gates of Moria and a hiring camp in Dimmer Dale.
- Enhanced Delving management: new buildings and additional dwarves to run your mining bases.
Durin’s Folk focuses on deeper base management and meaningful choices for party composition. It’s designed to extend the core loop of exploration and resource defense while giving returning players new tools and lore-driven content.
Why this matters to Tolkien fans and gamers
News of a sequel — even unofficial — is welcome for Tolkien enthusiasts, particularly after setbacks in other big Middle-earth projects, like the cancellation of Amazon's MMO. The Return to Moria universe has carved its own niche, blending cooperative survival and mining-management gameplay with palpable Middle-earth flavor. A sequel could expand that mix or take it in a bolder, action-oriented direction.
There are also recent whispers of another large-scale Lord of the Rings action game in development, reportedly comparable to the scope of Hogwarts Legacy. If multiple studios are now pursuing big Tolkien titles, 2025–2026 could mark a renewal of major Middle-earth releases across genres.
For now, Durin’s Folk offers a concrete date and content roadmap, while the sequel remains an intriguing — and increasingly plausible — next chapter for Return to Moria.
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