Illustrations originating from the portfolio of a former artist at Eidos-Montréal offer a first public glimpse into a cancelled Lord of the Rings game project the studio was developing prior to internal restructuring, according to reports surfacing this week.
The artwork, initially highlighted by the website Mp1st, depicts a highly stylized vision of Middle-earth, featuring a bird’s-eye view perspective and a focus on the port city of Umbar, a stronghold of pirates located on the coast of Gondor. Images showcase both the city before and after a presumed fall, suggesting a narrative arc centered around conflict and potential destruction. The portfolio as well includes renderings of the Prancing Pony inn, a key location in the early stages of Frodo’s journey, indicating the game intended to incorporate recognizable elements from J.R.R. Tolkien’s world.
The project’s cancellation occurred before a significant internal investigation within Eidos-Montréal, according to reporting from Indian-tv.cz. Prior to the investigation, the studio was reportedly working on a “soft reboot” of the Legacy of Kain series, a new installment in the Deus Ex franchise, and the Lord of the Rings title.
Initial reports suggested the Lord of the Rings game would combine card-based mechanics with a narrative structure similar to those employed by Telltale Games in titles like The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands. Whereas, the visual style evident in the released artwork – featuring a high camera angle and environments designed for real-time action – appears to contradict this earlier description, potentially indicating a shift in design during development. Some observers have noted similarities to the combat systems found in games like No Rest for the Wicked.
The emergence of these images coincides with a period of upheaval at Eidos-Montréal’s parent company, Embracer Group. Insider Gaming reported in December 2025 that the cancellation of the Lord of the Rings project was linked to broader restructuring efforts within the studio, prompted by the extensive development timeline of an internal open-world action-adventure project, codenamed P11. That project, reportedly being developed by the team behind Shadow of the Tomb Raider, is now in a late stage of development, with core systems completed and beta testing anticipated.
Embracer Group acquired the rights to adapt The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in 2022 through the purchase of Middle-earth Enterprises, granting them control over video game, board game, and film adaptations. Existing licensed projects, including The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, a Weta Workshop game, and an Electronic Arts mobile title, remain unaffected by the recent cancellations.
According to Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming, Eidos-Montréal has initiated at least eleven projects since 2019, with only Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy reaching release in 2021. The studio’s current focus remains on P11, with a planned release next year.