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Amazon Cancels Lord of the Rings MMO Amid Layoffs

11/2/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Amazon.com, Inc. has canceled its Lord of the Rings MMO for the second time as layoffs affect about 14,000 employees.
The project was first announced in 2019 and faced contractual disputes after Tencent acquired Leyou Technologies.
In 2023, Amazon rebooted the game with Embracer Group to create a next-gen Middle-earth online world.
Former developers on LinkedIn confirm that the MMO has been scrapped as part of Amazon's restructuring.

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Story summary

Amazon.com, Inc. has canceled its Lord of the Rings MMO for the second time as layoffs affect about 14,000 employees.
The project was first announced in 2019 and faced contractual disputes after Tencent acquired Leyou Technologies.
In 2023, Amazon rebooted the game with Embracer Group to create a next-gen Middle-earth online world.
Former developers on LinkedIn confirm that the MMO has been scrapped as part of Amazon's restructuring.