The Lord of the Rings: Return To Moria follows the Dwarves of Middle-earth as they embark on an original adventure to reclaim and restore their Dwarven homeland of Moria.

The story of The Lord of the Rings: Return To Moria takes players beyond the books and into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the fantastical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer, players take control of a company of Dwarves tasked to reclaim the lost spoils from the Dwarven homeland of Moria—known as Khazad-dûm or Dwarrowdelf—in the depths below their very feet. Their quest will require fortitude, delving deep into the Mines of Moria to recover its treasures. Players will join forces to survive, craft, build and explore the iconic, sprawling mines. Courageous expeditioners will need to be vigilant as mysterious dangers await.

The Lord of the Rings: Return To Moria offers endless experiences by featuring a procedurally generated Dwarven realm of Moria, so no two adventures will be alike, and every expedition is traversable either solo or online with companions. Players can mine to craft greater gear and resources, but beware, mining makes noise, and noise created in the quiet deep threatens to awaken the dangers below: where there’s clatter, there’s combat. Excavate the mysteries of three legendary mountains, extract precious metals, scrape to survive, and battle unspeakable forces to learn the secret of the Shadow that lurks within.

Independent developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games announced that The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will launch on PC via Steam and Xbox Series X|S on Aug. 27 at a discounted price of $19.99 for a limited time.

As part of the game’s launch on the new platforms, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will usher in The Golden Update, which introduces crossplay between all platforms, Sandbox Mode, and a treasure trove of other content, updates, and improvements that have been implemented since the game’s release on PC via the Epic Games Store (EGS) on Oct. 24, 2023, and for the PS5 on Dec. 5, 2023. 

New content and improvements in The Golden Update include:

• Sandbox Mode: Previously only available in beta via the EGS version of Return to Moria, the full launch of Sandbox Mode allows players across all platforms to experience independent exploration and experimentation throughout the mountain. This nonlinear mode unleashes the full potential of the procedural generation system, and the game world is generated with a wide variety of random seeds, meaning each playthrough can vary significantly in layout and difficulty. Because of its inherent unpredictability and minimal tutorials, this mode is recommended for players who are familiar with Return to Moria or other survival games.
• Crossplay Across All Platforms: Exploring the Mines of Moria with friends just got easier! Any player on PC via Steam or EGS, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 can now host games to be joined by any other player. Just like non-crossplay games, Steam players can host 8-player sessions, regardless of the platform the joining players are on.
• New Weapons and Armor: Sandbox Mode brings with it recipes for 14 new weapons and armor including a Wolf Skin Hat, Gondorian Shield, Khazad Halberd, and Barôkamlut. Though only discoverable in Sandbox Mode, players can bring new objects into Campaign Mode as long as their Dwarf is equipped with them when transferring over.
• New Building Parts and Decorations: Players can spruce up their bases with over 100 new building objects, including new cosmetic decorations such as light fixtures, rugs, banners, home furnishings, tables, and chairs.
• Building Improvements: Restoring Moria is now easier than ever with the changes made to the stability system as well as improved object snapping. The miscellaneous buildings throughout Moria are now stronger than ever, expanding players’ ability to build expansive bases wherever they choose.
• Single Player Pause: To improve the solo player experience, offline players can now pause the game by hitting “escape” on PC or by opening the settings menu.
• Ambient Music: Due to popular demand, there is now an ambient music soundtrack to accompany the Dwarves’ ventures through Moria.
• Difficulty Settings: Players can now fine-tune the difficulty level for various aspects of the game including enemy aggression, combat, horde, siege and patrol frequency, world and mining drops, and survival.
• Bug Fixes and Improvements

Key Features:

• Feel the Fellowship: Experience the Fellowship of the Dwarves like never before, with the rich lore of the iconic fantasy world from J.R.R. Tolkien interwoven into the very fabric of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. 
• Survive the Dark: To survive the treacherous Mines of Moria players must conserve resources, hunt, and gather for food and manage their sleep, temperature, and noise levels. Utilize dynamic light systems for safety and to blaze a path further into the darkness. Battle unspeakable evils and survive hordes of monstrous Orcs in visceral combat, while uncovering the secret of the Shadow that looms within the mountain. 
• Base Building: Find solace from the darkness. Reveal and clear new locations to create architecture on a grand scale. Get creative and construct bases from scratch or build upon the existing environment. Beware the evils which seek to destroy Dwarven progress. 
• Rebuild and Reshape Moria: Restore the long-lost ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm to its former glory, recovering Dwarven landmarks as the story progresses. Resurrect old mines and refire their forges to yield their untouched resources. 
• Explore: Delve into the depths of the Mines of Moria. Procedurally generated environments are abundant with resources and fraught with mystery and danger, providing a unique experience each and every time. 
• Co-op Multiplayer: Adventure alone or band together with friends in online cooperative multiplayer with up to eight players.  
• Craft Dwarven Tools, Weapons and More: Craft and loot legendary Dwarven armor, tools, weapons and structures. Rebuild ancient forges to strengthen, repair and enchant gear. Upgrade and unlock new technologies and fantastical machines. 
• Uncover Magic Artifacts: Discover ancient magic items including swords that glow when Orcs are near, maps of long-dormant Mithril veins, books with forgotten crafting plans and amulets that give strength or wisdom.  
• Mine Ore and Jewels: Establish mines to unearth deposits of precious resources such as iron, gold, and quartz; and fantastical materials such as Mithril. Access crafting stations and forges to convert ore to ingots and upgrade gear. But be prepared, mining is loud and can awaken what lurks in the darkness. 
• Comprehensive Dwarf Builder: Players become part of Dwarven Legend as they create their own Dwarf in the custom character creator. Dwarves can be customized in a variety of ways to create a unique Dwarven identity. Then, during gameplay, players can find and craft armor and weapons to further enhance their unique style.  

Currently available for PC (Epic Games Store) and PS5, The Lord of the Rings: Return To Moria is coming to PC (Steam) and Xbox Series X|S on August 27, 2024.