The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is no longer on course to arrive this year.
As confirmed in an amended press release published earlier this week, developer Daedalic Entertainment reiterates that it will now be aiming to launch the title set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy universe sometime in 2022, essentially delaying the prequel by 12 months or more. A hefty setback, then, and while the cause isn’t specified, we can only imagine that Gollum’s solo adventure simply requires more time in the oven. Truth be told, the news isn’t altogether surprising when taking current world events and the studio’s relatively small size into consideration.
Pre-release assets, while clearly depicting a project made with genuine adoration and love for Middle-earth, paint a picture of one still early in production. Indeed, the last time fans received any update on progress came late last year with an official announcement trailer showing the warped and twisted Stoor Hobbit overlooking the infamous Mount Doom.
As far as gameplay is concerned, Daedalic has billed Gollum as an action-adventure with platforming and light RPG elements. The latter, unlike traditional conversation mechanics, will involve players exploring Gollum and Sméagol’s inner conflict represented by multiple choice options. How these psychological struggles are resolved will be left for the player to decide, and while they’ll have an impact on how progress is made through the story, adhering to canon dictates the allowance of only so much leeway. We already know, of course, how the pitiful creature meets his end, though not what life events he experienced prior to meeting Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, so you can assuredly expect some surprises along the way.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is in development for Xbox One/Series X, PS4/5, Nintendo Switch and PC.