Aspyr Confirms More Lord of the Rings Re-Releases After Classic Co-Op Revival

Aspyr says the revival of classic Middle-earth games is only getting started. After bringing back one long-remembered co-op action RPG, the publisher has confirmed it plans more re-releases for The Lord of the Rings franchise, while still keeping the next target under wraps—leaving fans to speculate which entries could be next.

Key takeaways

• Aspyr has confirmed additional re-releases of classic The Lord of the Rings titles beyond its latest drop.
• The first announced return is The Lord of the Rings: The War of the North – Legacy Edition.
• The company has not yet named which other games will be revived, so any further picks remain speculative.
• Potential candidates include The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth series, and The Lord of the Rings Online.
• Aspyr notes that some older games may be harder to restore due to licensing, original publishers, code, and publishing rights.

Legacy Edition marks the opening move

Aspyr’s renewed interest in Middle-earth classics began with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the North – Legacy Edition, a cooperative action RPG originally developed by Snowblind Studios. The comeback itself was the headline, but the company’s accompanying message made the bigger point: more classic re-releases are planned for the franchise.

While Aspyr did not provide a list of what’s next or how many projects are already in motion, the confirmation is clear enough to set expectations. The publisher explicitly indicated that fans should anticipate further classic releases tied to the series—without committing to specific titles yet.

Which games could return next?

Because Aspyr has authorization to work with the franchise, it does not automatically mean every historical entry can be reissued. The company’s situation is constrained by practical realities such as licensing arrangements, involvement of original publishers, technical hurdles with old code, and the permissions tied to publication rights.

Even with those limitations, several notable games from across the franchise’s history stand out as realistic possibilities. The following entries are discussed as plausible future candidates, though none are officially confirmed by name beyond The War of the North:

• The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age — originally released on Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — an adaptation based on Tolkien’s novel, also released on the original Xbox.
• The Hobbit — Bilbo’s adventure developed by Inevitable Entertainment and published in 2003.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth — a strategy title with strong fan recognition.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II — another major strategy entry, including an Xbox 360 version.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II – The Rise of the Witch-king — an expansion for the second game that can be difficult to obtain legitimately.
• The Lord of the Rings Online — the long-running MMORPG that remains an important part of the franchise’s game history.

Why the strategy and RPG picks are the most talked-about

Among the speculative list, two stand out as especially likely to draw attention. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is described as one of the franchise’s most beloved RPGs, while The Battle for Middle-earth—particularly the second game—continues to be requested by strategy fans.

At the same time, the discussion draws a line between “recovering classics” and simply reissuing titles that are already in circulation. More recent Middle-earth games like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War are currently available, meaning they may not need the same kind of restoration effort that older entries often require.

For now, the only certainty is that The War of the North won’t be an isolated comeback. Aspyr has indicated it will keep bringing back classic Middle-earth games, and the next announcement is simply a question of timing.