Summary
One month before its planned release, Weta Workshop confirmed thatTales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Gamehad been delayed again. Originally slated to launch on March 25 following a move back from a 2024 release window,Tales of the Shirehas now been scheduled to launch on July 29, over four months after the March date.
Tales of the Shireis being developed by the New Zealand-based Weta Workshop Game Studio, and published by Private Division. Set in the titular Shire, the homeland of Middle-earth’s diminutive Hobbits,Tales of the Shireis a cozy life simulator that allows players to live out the life of a halfling. Players cancustomize and decorate their own Hobbit holesin the ground and establish the fledgling village of Bywater as an official part of Hobbiton. Food and exploration will also be two major focal points of the game, as players can host dinner parties with guests and establish relationships with their fellow Hobbits.
AlthoughTales of the Shirewas originally slated to arrive on March 25, that is no longer happening. According to a social media post by the Weta Workshop development team,Tales of the Shirehas been pushed back four months, and will now launch on July 29 on all platforms. This is the second confirmed delay forTales of the Shire, as it was planned to launch in 2024 before being rescheduled to the previous June 22, 2025. Weta Workshop stated that it wants to take as much time as needed to ensure that every platform can enjoy the same experience. The developers stated that the extra time would be used to polish up the game’s details and clean up any lingering issues. Weta Workshop asked players for their continued support and patience withTales of the Shire.
How Far Back Has Tales of the Shire Been Delayed?
WhileTales of the Shirewill continue to launch on platforms such as Steam and the Nintendo Switch, it is one ofsix games that will no longer launch on the Netflix Games platformas a result of a corporate strategy change within Netflix. On social media, fans expressed both their disappointment and support for the delay decision, with most comments encouraging Weta Workshop to take as much time as needed rather than rush it.
Between the cozy lifestyle of playing as a Hobbit and the pressures of being a game set in Middle-earth, thefeatures ofTales of the Shirecould make or break it. It remains to be seen if the new July 29 release date will be the final one.
