Wētā Workshop has announced that the cute and cosy life sim Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game has been delayed from 25th March to 29th July 2025.
The developer, which is known for special effects, prop creation, board games, and miniatures, shared a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) earlier today stating that the game “needs a bit more simmering…”
Here’s the full statement from Wētā Workshop:
Dear Fellow Hobbits,
A good Hobbit feast takes time, and so does Tales of the Shire! We’re taking a little longer to ensure that every Hobbit, on every platform, can enjoy the same cosy experience. The game will now launch on July 29, 2025.
We want this game to feel like a warm hug from Middle-earth, and we are making sure that no matter where you play, you’ll feel right at home in The Shire. From foot-hair styles to the fluffiest cakes, every detail will be just right.
We appreciate your patience and cannot wait for you to experience life in The Shire this summer. In the meantime, arrange the table, polish your silver and get ready for a feast fit for a Hobbit!
Looking forward to welcoming you to Bywater.
– From the folks at Weta Workshop Game Studio
Announced back in April 2024, Tales of the Shire sees you create your own hobbit and live life in the small hamlet of Bywater, an unofficial town of Hobbiton. The game features resource collecting, community building, farming, gardening, and — most importantly — cooking.
This is the second time the game has been delayed — first, it was pushed back from a fall 2024 release to “early 2025” (then confirmed to be 25th March). Now it’s slipped a few more months to the middle of summer.
The game’s publisher, Private Division, was sold to an “undisclosed buyer” by parent company Take-Two in November 2024, with former Annapurna staff reportedly buying up the studio’s catalogue under a brand new studio earlier this year.
Are you disappointed by Tales of the Shire’s delay? Let us know in the comments below.
