Fans make The Battle for Middle-Earth in Unreal engine

A group of fans of the Battle for Middle-Earth games, which were released between 2004 and 2006, have set themselves the goal of creating a version of the rts game with a new engine, more specifically Unreal Engine 4. Initially, the focus is on multiplayer.

The fan project is called The Battle for Middle-Earth: Reforged and of course takes place in the Lord of the Rings universe. According to the development team, the step to the new engine should, among other things, reduce lag, result in better physics, be able to run at more than 30 fps and offer support for 4k. The team is trying to emphasize that this is a non-commercial project, though it remains to be seen whether Warner Bros. impressed by that claim when it comes to rights. No agreements have been made.

The team writes that the initial intention is to build the multiplayer part. Only when that is complete will a possible campaign be considered. The team expects to release the first beta in early 2019, but that schedule will depend on whether enough volunteers are willing to participate in the project.

Two volumes of The Battle for Middle-Earth games were released in 2004 and 2006, which were published by EA Games. They are RTS games in which the player can build armies of Orcs and humans, among others.