The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is back

The RPG classic set in Tolkien’s iconic fantasy universe is back. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition is out now.

The Lord of the Rings goes North

Well, here’s a surprise. Or actually, maybe it isn’t, if you bought the rumors that popped up not all that long ago. If you did, then congratulations are in order too, because The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is indeed back for more, and out for modern consoles.

Developed by Snowblind, the role-playing title first released back in 2011, hitting the PS5/Xbox 360/PC with a pretty original premise. Instead of just following along with the Warner Bros movie trilogy’s Fellowship, this title presented something wholly new. Players took control of a trio of original heroes, including “Eradan, the stealthy Dúnadan Ranger, Andriel, the magical Elven Loremaster, and Farin, the tank-like Dwarven Champion”.

Not only that but those heroes set out on a quest in the northern realm of Middle-earth. That’s a place that we didn’t see at all in the movies, though some elements would indeed bleed through. Fans who played the game should recall plenty of intertwining between the films and the game. That goes for the base theme of the War of the Ring, as well as some locales, and in the vein of supporting characters. Although they weren’t playable, the likes of Aragorn and Gandalf, and even Elrond were all present.

That said, those who’ve been itching to replay this classic should be happy with today’s news. And yes, that’s that The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition is out right now.

Step into a darker, grittier Middle-earth where war rages beyond the Fellowship’s path. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North™ – Legacy Edition expands Tolkien’s epic legendarium with the brutal, untold story of Agandaûr, a Black Númenórean and servant of Sauron who has rallied an immense force in the ruins of Fornost. Build your own Fellowship of three heroes and confront the growing threat in the North, making your mark on Middle-earth in a grand adventure with visceral, satisfying combat and rich character progression.

Let this be the hour when we draw swords together!

Aspyr press release

Stealthy, like an elf

That’s right, it’s a stealth drop for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition, as publisher Aspyr has launched the game onto modern consoles and the PC. As a result, it’s out as you read this, for the PS5, XBOX Series X|S, Switch, PC via Steam, Epic, and GOG. A Switch 2 edition is coming up as well, and set to launch on August 18th, 2026.

Keep in mind though, this isn’t the same game that you might’ve played more than a decade ago. And with that, you might be wondering that the “Legacy Edition” tag means. More or less, it denotes that this new version is a remaster, serving up 60 FPS support (for everything except Switch), plus bug fixes and “autosaves and additional save slots, and gyro/motion sensor support on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2”, according to Aspyr.

Hang on though, because there’s a lot more than the technical stuff. The publisher/developer adds that The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition will also include what sounds like some gameplay improvements. Secrets can now be triggered no matter which character you’re playing as, and players are now able to lock onto foes. Additionally, there are a host of UI/UX optimizations, including “visible Health, Mana and EXP bars”, plus the ability to autosave and make use of additional save slots.

For the first time too, players can swap between those three heroes mentioned above. Oh, and yes, co-op play is still ready to roll. Well, it is unless you’re playing on an original Switch. That console only supports online play, so keep that in mind. Outside of the Switch edition though, two players are able to indulge in a little local, split-screen questing. Teaming up online? Up to three players can form their own Fellowship there.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition is priced in at $19.99 USD, and also features a 10% launch discount, which is good through August 24th.