A surprise Lord of the Rings game has just launched, with more exciting announcements potentially on the horizon.

Get ready to return to Middle-earth! A surprise re-release has just dropped: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is now available for modern consoles, thanks to Aspyr.

Originally launched in 2011, War in the North is an action RPG that draws from J. R. R. Tolkien’s novels and Peter Jackson’s early 2000s film adaptations, while also introducing fresh characters and concepts. Producer Ruth Tomandl highlighted the blend of familiar and new faces, stating, “You’re meeting characters that you’re familiar with as well as brand new characters and some characters from the books that you might know of that weren’t in the films, so we really get the best of all possible worlds.”

While Frodo and Sam are busy trying to destroy the One Ring, you’ll take control of a trio of heroes battling Sauron’s forces in the North. The new Legacy Edition allows you to switch between characters freely and offers three-player online co-op or two-player split-screen co-op modes. Additionally, this version features 60 frames per second support, UI/UX enhancements, extra save slots, autosave, and gyro and motion controls on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

When it first launched, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North received a lukewarm reception, earning a 61 on Metacritic based on 48 Xbox 360 reviews, while the PC version fared slightly better with a score of 66. After being unavailable for digital purchase since 2019, the Legacy Edition marks a thrilling comeback for the game, even if it has some rough edges.

Even more exciting is the hint at additional The Lord of the Rings game re-releases. A press release mentioned, “Fans can look forward to even more classic releases by Aspyr from the beloved franchise in the future!” Aspyr has a history of remastering various Star Wars titles, and the thought of revisiting classic The Lord of the Rings games on modern hardware is a tantalizing prospect for many gamers. Jackson’s trilogy had some solid movie tie-in games, and a remaster for a new console would definitely be welcome.

For now, dive into The Lord of the Rings: War in the North — Legacy Edition, available on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.