Guardians of Middle-earth, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, will be one of the next video games based on the Lord of the Rings series. It will be joining League of Legends, DOTA 2 and Heroes of Newerth (amongst others) in the current MOBA market.
The official website gave us our first details about Guardians of Middle-earth:
- Enter the fray in epic 5 versus 5 engagements with live players or AI combatants
- Fight as over 20 iconic guardians from Middle-earth — each with different strengths and abilities to develop and master
- Purchase items and buffs between matches using in-game currency earned through combat
- Track victories and defeats at any time through stat and leaderboard systems
- Coordinate with allies using in-game voice communication for a uniquely social Multiplayer Online Battle Arena experience
- Engage in the continuing conflict over Middle-earth with new guardians to be revealed post launch, with several released in conjunction with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey motion picture to deliver gamers a deeper connection to Peter Jackson’s epic film
The game, being developed by Monolith Productions (F.E.A.R; Gotham City Impostors) will be available on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Guardians of Middle-earth will be playable at E3 next week, so expect more details (including, hopefully, a full list of playable champions) soon! And don’t forget: Lord of the Rings fans also have a Lego LOTR video game to look forward to.