Close Menu
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Warframe

    Biggest ‘Warframe’ Announcements From PAX East 2025

    05/13/2025
    The First Descendant Season 3: Breakthrough keyart

    ‘The First Descendant’ Season 3 Looks Like A Gamechanger

    05/11/2025
    Mafia: The Old Country promotional still

    Everything We Know About ‘Mafia: The Old Country’

    05/08/2025
    Sunderfolk Phone Players

    10 ‘Sunderfolk’ Tips To Help You And Your Party Thrive

    05/02/2025
    Bob in Thunderbolts But Why Tho

    ‘Thunderbolts*’ Visualizes Depression As Only A Superhero Movie Can

    05/02/2025
  • Star Wars
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Blood of Zeus
  • MCU
But Why Tho?
Home » News » The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria First Gameplay Trailer

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria First Gameplay Trailer

Matt DonahueBy Matt Donahue06/08/20234 Mins ReadUpdated:10/27/2023
The Lord of the Rings Return to Moria
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

The Lord of the Rings Return to Moria

Free Range Games, an independent developer, and publisher North Beach Games shared a first look at the co-op, survival crafting gameplay of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria at Summer Game Fest 2023. The companies also announced the console versions of the game are in active development for the PlayStation 5 computer entertainment system and Xbox Series X|S console systems and are scheduled to launch simultaneously with the Windows PC version via the Epic Games Store in fall 2023.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

A survival crafting video game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria follows the Dwarves as they embark on adventures to reclaim and restore their Dwarven homeland of Moria. Narrated by John Rhys-Davies, the first gameplay trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria features never-before-seen footage from the game’s PC version.

Players will create their very own custom Dwarf before their journey, alone or online with companions, where every new adventure will be unique through the use of procedurally generated environments. Dwarves can explore for treasure and mine valuable ores, always mindful not to create too much noise and attract the attention of the myriad dangers in the deep. Excavate the mysteries of the Misty Mountains, extract precious metals, scrape to survive, and battle unspeakable forces to learn the secret of the Shadow that lurks within.

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 developer has shared a robust list of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria’s key features that are sure to get any LOTR fan excited.

  • 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 armour, 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 armour and weapons to further enhance their unique style.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will launch in fall 2023 for Windows PC via the Epic Game Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™ – Gameplay Trailer

The first gameplay trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, the only survival crafting game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth™, the iconic fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien Find out more at www.ReturnToMoria.com Official Socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReturnToMoria Discord: https://discord.gg/6TNP7as9md YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@returntomoria TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@returntomoria

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is Coming This November
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Blue Jean’ Is Powerful And Emotionally Complex
Matt Donahue
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)

Host of our flagship podcast and convention contributor. Responsible for creating the site’s content strategy plan and keeping the lights on. Sports trivia encyclopedia, Spider-Man and Dr. Strange fan, with a love of video games.

Related Posts

DC Worlds Collide Keyart

DC Worlds Collide Pre-Registration Open Now

05/15/2025
Dog Witch keyart

Dog Witch Is All Chaos Zero Bite In New Reveal Trailer

05/14/2025
Omut keyart

Nightmarish First OMUT Demo Out Now On Steam

05/13/2025
Still from Nobody 2

Vacation Gets Wrecked in New Nobody 2 Trailer

05/13/2025
NieR skins featured image

Nier Automata Is Coming To The First Descendant

05/11/2025
Dino Path Trail keyart

Dino Path Trail Is Officially Out Now On Steam

05/09/2025
TRENDING POSTS
Cho Bo-ah and Lee Jae-wook in Dear Hongrang
8.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Dear Hongrang’ Weaves A Tangled Web

By Sarah Musnicky05/16/2025Updated:05/16/2025

With its foundation set in mystery and intrigue, it’s no surprise that Dear Hongrang (Tangeum) is a complicated viewing experience.

Bet (2025)
6.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Bet’ Is a Bold and Risky Live-Action Adaption

By LaNeysha Campbell05/15/2025Updated:05/15/2025

‘Bet’ (2025) brings the high-stakes world of ‘Kakegurui’ to life (again), an American live-action adaptation of Homura Kawamoto’s manga series.

Murderbot Season 1 keyart from Apple TV Plus
9.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Murderbot’ Continues Apple TV+’s Sci-Fi Winning Streak

By Kate Sánchez05/12/2025Updated:05/13/2025

Humor, action, and the weirdness of science fiction keep Apple TV+’s Murderbot hitting every single episode.

Marie Bach Hansen in Secrets We Keep
6.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘Secrets We Keep’ Will Give You Whiplash

By Sarah Musnicky05/15/2025

Secrets We Keep is a decent binge-watch. However, it needed to take a beat to let the suspense grow and be savored properly.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here