The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, an action RPG originally released in 2011, has returned to Steam in a newly updated Legacy Edition. The game was delisted from the platform in early 2019.
The Legacy Edition introduces several enhancements, including hot-swappable characters, refined enemy-target locking, an improved interface, a new autosave feature, and various bug fixes. The game follows an untold story centered on Agandaûr, a servant of Sauron who leads an army from the ruins of Fornost, tasking players with building a fellowship of three heroes to confront this threat in the North.
The original delisting in 2019 was likely due to expiring licenses. The game's return is facilitated by Embracer, which owns Middle-earth Enterprises, the holder of numerous Lord of the Rings rights. Aspyr, the developer of the Legacy Edition, is also owned by Embracer. This consolidation of ownership under Embracer allows for such re-releases.
Embracer has announced plans to spin off Middle-earth Enterprises and other assets into a new company called Fellowship Entertainment, though key Embracer executives are expected to transition to leadership roles within this new entity. Aspyr has indicated that fans can anticipate further classic releases from the Lord of the Rings franchise in the future.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Legacy Edition is available now on Steam, with an introductory 10% discount on its regular $20 price.