Amazon has confirmed the cancellation of its Lord of the Rings MMO, a project that began development in 2023. This decision follows a series of layoffs within Amazon's gaming division, which has seen a shift away from large-budget titles, particularly MMOs. Amazon's gaming lead, Jeff Grattis, indicated that while the MMO is no longer in the works, the creative team is still exploring new opportunities within Tolkien's world. The company retains the rights to develop video games based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, thanks to a deal with Embracer Group made in 2023. In addition to gaming, Amazon is also producing the Rings of Power television series. The cancellation of the MMO comes as part of broader changes within Amazon's gaming strategy, which includes recent shutdowns of other projects, such as Glowmade's dungeon crawler King of Meat, and a focus on enhancing its Luna game-streaming service.