The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was released in 2011. The game depicted a dark version of Middle-earth, with war raging beyond the path of the Fellowship. Expanding Tolkien's universe, it tells the story of Agandaûr, a Black Númenórean and servant of Sauron, who has rallied an immense force in the ruins of Fornost. In this action role-playing game, or hack-and-slash title, three heroes must battle this new threat. Eradan is a stealthy Dúnadan Ranger, Andriel is a magical Elven Loremaster, and Farin is a tank-like Dwarven Champion.

Unlike the original game, solo players can now switch between characters at any time, even during combat. In the original game, players could only select a character at the start of a level and were then unable to switch, meaning they had to rely on AI-controlled companions. Players can now also fully assign the equipment, skills, and abilities of computer-controlled allies. Nevertheless, the gameplay experience is still better in co-op mode. Up to three players can play online or two can play in local split-screen mode (not available on Switch 1), with split-screen mode now available on PC for the first time.

No, it's not a complete remake; it's a classic remaster. It offers 60 fps (though not on the Switch 1) and resolutions of up to 4K (not ultra widescreen). As well as the ability to switch characters within levels, there are other modernisations, such as triggering secrets (see other characters' secrets, like hidden supply caches, regardless of which character is being played), locking onto enemies, and UI/UX optimisations, including visible health, mana and exp bars, autosaves and additional save slots. There is also gyro/motion sensor support on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, along with bug fixes. However, nothing has changed regarding the essentially linear and sometimes repetitive 2011 gameplay, which lacks explanations. The inventory system remains cumbersome too. It's essentially the old game with careful modernisations.

The original game, released in November 2011, was developed by Snowblind Studios, which had been acquired by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2009. It was released just a few days before The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Within a month of its launch, the studio underwent a wave of layoffs, and the remaining developers then joined Monolith Productions, the developers of No One Lives Forever, F.E.A.R. and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War. In 2025, Warner Bros. Games closed Monolith Productions, alongside Player First Games and WB Games San Diego.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Legacy Edition was developed by Aspyr. Most recently, the company released Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration for the Nintendo Switch 2, as well as Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered and Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered. Aspyr is an Embracer Group company based in Austin, Texas.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition, which is licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, is the first Lord of the Rings title to be released by Aspyr. "Fans can look forward to more classic releases from the beloved franchise in the future," the announcement reads.

However, it is unclear which games are being referred to. If they continue to collaborate with Warner Bros., Guardians of Middle-earth (2012) and The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (2010) would be feasible. Meanwhile, many players are hoping for ports of Electronic Arts games such as The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (2009), as well as The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth (2004), and The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II (2006). The fact that The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition reached a peak of 4,779 concurrent users (CCU) on Steam alone, demonstrates that these adaptations are of interest.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition was released on 11 August 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 (launching August 18 on the Nintendo EU eShop), and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG, priced at €19.99.

Conclusion

The 2011 action RPG is back, cautiously modernised in The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition.

Features

• Technically overhauled and cautiously modernised
• Character hot-swapping and customisable computer-controlled allies
• Improved UI/UX