Fresh glimpses into a long-lost Lord of the Rings video game have emerged online, offering tantalizing what-ifs from Eidos-Montréal's canceled project. Detailed in an MP1st report published recently, the images stem from the portfolio of a former artist at the studio, spotlighting a Telltale-style narrative adventure infused with card-game mechanics and a top-down perspective. The images and video all come from MP1st and their source that they keep anonymus for their protection.
The standout element is the primary setting: Umbar, the notorious Corsair stronghold on Middle-earth's southern coast south of Gondor. Tolkien lore paints it as a rugged harbor realm with a great cape and land-locked firth forming a natural haven, long a base for Haradrim pirates raiding Gondor's shores. Concept art captures Umbar's dual faces: a thriving port bustling with ships, markets, and sun-baked architecture before its dramatic fall, and the ruined aftermath of siege and decay.
One video in the portfolio toggles between these states, emphasizing the event's lore significance with Umbar's sack by Aragorn in the Fourth Age marked the end of its piratical era. Check it out down below:
Other locales include the iconic Prancing Pony inn from Bree, rendered in cozy top-down detail with wooden beams, flickering hearths, and patrons amid pipe-weed haze. Additional pieces depict shadowy alleys, coastal cliffs, and arid biomes faithful to Tolkien's appendices, blending sandy dunes, palm-like trees, and weathered stone.
Gameplay screenshots hint at mechanics: top-down traversal with verticality via ladders scaling multi-level structures, patrolling enemies blocking paths, and interactive elements like green-highlighted ladders labeled "Use Ladder." A sense of exploration emerges, with shadowy figures navigating precarious walkways over water and cluttered harbors.
The card-based system remains unknown from visuals alone, it was probably for combat, dialogue choices, or puzzle-solving akin to Slay the Spire meets The Walking Dead's branching narratives. However because it is inspired by Telltale games suggests that it was more episodic, choice-driven storytelling amid Umbar's intrigue.
Development never advanced far, per portfolio notes, likely scrapped during Eidos-Montréal's 2025 turmoil. The studio, famed for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, endured two brutal layoff waves: 97 jobs cut in February amid Embracer Group's restructuring, followed by another 40 in September. Now largely outsourced to Microsoft projects like Fable and Everwild, Eidos pivoted from ambitious originals, leaving this LOTR pitch in the dust.
Lord of the Rings games have a checkered and pretty rough history. Peaks like the 2002-2004 EA titles (Fellowship tie-in, Return of the King) and LEGO series delivered joy, but recent flops dominate: Daedalic's 2023 Gollum bombed critically and commercially, leading to studio closure rumors; the 2023 MMO by Amazon/Embracer was axed pre-production. Eidos' vision promised a narrative pivot with it being less hack-and-slash, more intrigue in Tolkien's underbelly had the potential of redeeming the IP's interactive legacy.
Bright spots persist. September 2025 reports teased an open-world LOTR rivaling Hogwarts Legacy, possibly from Wētā Workshop or a secretive team. The Lord of the Rings Online is still kicking after post-25th anniversary updates, boasting revamped graphics and fresh content via Standing Stone Games.
These images, while bittersweet, highlight untapped potential. The early cancellation of the game spared deeper heartbreak, but fuels a strong "what if" for fans. Eidos-Montréal's future hinges on outsourcing, but portfolios like this artist's endure, preserving visions amid industry churn. For LOTR gamers, the wait continues for a new game that takes their attention. Until then, these artifacts remind us: Middle-earth's interactive tales deserve better than Gollum's shadow.
What are your thoughts on the images and video? Do you think the game sounded like a good one? Let us know what you thought in the comments below!