Way back in 2019, German video game developer Daedalic Entertainment announced that it would be creating a new game titledThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum. LikeMiddle Earth: Shadow of MordorandShadow of War, the game takes place in between the events ofThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings,and focuses on Gollum after he lost the ring to Bilbo. Unfortunately,The Lord of the Rings: Gollumhas been beset by a number of delays and could be turning into anotherSkull and Bones.
The history behind Ubisoft’sSkull and Bonesis a long and complicated one. The game originally began development in 2013 and was initially designed to be an expansion toAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. As the years went on, the project went through several forms, including a pirate MMORPG, before being developed into an original IP.Skull and Boneswas originally revealedin the summer of 2017 with a 2018 Q3/Q4 planned release date. As fans now know, however, this was not meant to be.
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The Numerous Delays of Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones
As the years have gone onSkull and Boneshas become infamous for its delays. The game was originally pushed back to 2019 before being delayed again for a 2020 release. The release date was changed for a third time in 2019 with a new April 2021–March 2022 window in mind. As it turned out,Skull and Boneswent through several development rebootsand saw some changes in its management, which played a big role in its numerous delays; for instance, Ubisoft Singapore Managing Director Hughes Ricour was removed from his post in 2020 amid harassment allegations. The publisher would delay the game two more times before it began to advertise it once again.
In mid-2022, Ubisoft revealed new gameplay footage forSkull and Bonesas well as a seemingly solid November 8th release date. This was not to last, as the company announced in September that the long-delayed project would be pushed back yet again to March 9th, 2023. Unfortunately for fans everywhere there was at least one final roadblock on the docket. In January 2023, it was revealed thatSkull and Boneshad been delayedyet again and had canceled three other unannounced games. Rather than give a solid release date, Ubisoft has stated that the game will hit shelves sometime in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This final delay made it the 6th time the publisher had pushedSkull and Bones. Now it appears thatThe Lord of The Rings: Gollummay be taking a similar route.
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The Development History of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Thefirst teaser forThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumwas revealedin 2020, over a year after it was announced and was eyeing a 2021 release date. As development went on, several things were happening behind the scenes. Mainly, Daedalic Entertainment was bought by Nacon, a French publisher that distributes titles for a variety of small developers. These include but are not limited to projects likeThe Sinking City,Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter, and severalWarhammer 40Kgames; Nacon is currently set to publishRoboCop: Rogue City, and a currently untitled survivalTerminatorgame. Once the deal between the developer and publisher was settled, the game was delayed for the first time, with a new 2022 release window in mind.
The developer and publisher eventually targeted a September 1st, 2022 release date for Steam, and for PlayStation and Xbox consoles with a Nintendo Switch version set to be made available on November 30th of the same year.Gameplay forThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumwas revealedin 2021 which featured tense stealth and nonlinear levels, giving players a better idea as to what to expect. Unfortunately, likeSkull and Bones, the game was destined not to make its 2022 release date.
In July 2022, Nacon and Daedalic Entertainment revealed that the game would be pushed back by a few months. The exact reason for the delay was not given, though the developer stated that it was so it could give players the best possible experience. Unfortunately, a new release date was not provided with this new delay. Then inJanuary 2023The Lord of the Rings: Gollumwas delayedonce again and is now set to be released sometime during the early half of Nacon’s 2023/2024 fiscal year. This would put the release date somewhere between April and September 2023, making it the fourth time the game has been delayed. This particular detail was not announced by the publisher or the developer but was quietly tucked away in the company’s sales report.
Is The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Becoming the Next Skull and Bones?
With the numerous delays thatThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumhas experienced, it begs one to ask if it’s rapidly becoming the nextSkull and Bones. At this moment, the answer to that question is probably no.Skull and Boneshad a shaky development historyeven before its existence became public knowledge, and delays in video games happen for numerous reasons. To date, there’s no sign of development and leadership upsets at Daedalic Entertainment of the kind that Ubisoft Singapore has gone through.
This, however, does not mean thatGollum’s delays aren’t a cause for concern or that comparisons aren’t warranted. Because of the delays and lack of a solid release date, the game’s launch comes off as something of a work-in-progress situation and could be subject to more delays likeSkull and Bones. It could very well get to that point as time goes on. Whether it reaches the same number of delays asUbisoft’s new IPremains to be seen.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollumis in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
