The Lord of the Rings: Gollum: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more

By Jon Bitner and Sam Hill March 23, 2023

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is set to take us to an unexplored period of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth universe and give the legendary Lord of the Rings story a brand new story and lore. While Bilbo and Frodo Baggins are certainly heroes in the saga for finding, carrying, and ultimately destroying the One Ring and the Dark Lord Sauron, there’s another hobbit who had a very important role to play — Sméagol (later known as Gollum).

Contents

Release date
Platforms
Trailers
Gameplay
Preorders

While Gollum’s tale has been touched on in the Lord of the Rings novels, Peter Jackson’s iconic film trilogy, and other LOTR media, this game will be the first story focused solely on “the third hobbit.” Gollum follows the notorious trickster as he is hunted down by Middle-earth’s heroes and villains while wrestling with split personalities and obsession with the One Ring.

Developed by Daedalic Entertainment, well-known for its long list of critically acclaimed indie titles, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum aims to add to the long list of fantastic Lord of the Rings games and bring deep Tolkien lore mainstream like Amazon Studios’ The Rings of Power series. The game has been delayed several times over the past couple of years but finally has a release date for 2023 — here’s everything you need to know.

Release date

A close-up of Gollum. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is officially being released on May 25, 2023, on most consoles. A Nintendo Switch version is also in development, but it still has a vaguer “later this year” release window.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was first announced in 2020 with a 2021 release window. It didn’t come out that year and was pushed back to 2022. Things were shaping up nicely for a September 1, 2022 launch, but Daedelic Entertainment delayed it indefinitely just over a month before release so the developers could deliver “the best possible experience.” While they said it was only going to be delayed “by a few months” at a time, fans will have waited nearly nine extra months by the time it releases.

Platforms

Gandalf in Lord of the Rings: Gollum. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is slated to launch on PC, current-gen, and last-gen platforms. It was originally revealed as a next-gen-only title, although the team has since tacked on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch as launch consoles. PS5 players will also benefit from enhanced DualSense features, including a variety of haptic feedback responses based on their in-game actions.

Trailers

Several trailers exist for The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, most of which are of the cinematic variety. Everything we’ve seen so far looks better than the original images released in May 2020, and recent trailers have only made the wait for Gollum more difficult. You can check out all the trailers below:

A Split Personality — cinematic trailer

Released during The Game Awards 2021, the latest trailer offers a closer look at Gollum and the world he’ll be sneaking around in when the game launches.

A Unique Promise

Harald Riegler of Daedalic Entertainment sits down for a brief interview about Gollum’s world, mechanics, and overarching storyline.

Sneak Peek trailer

It’s less than a minute in length, but it’s still one of the best looks we’re yet to have of the game.

Teaser trailer

It’s a teaser trailer, so this short clip offers more questions than it does answers. It’s still worth a watch, however, as it’s one of the few official videos we have related to the upcoming title.

Gameplay trailer

The most recent trailer arrived on July 7, 2022, offering a closer look at Gollum’s gameplay. It runs for just over a minute and shows off a bit of new gameplay footage such as Gollum scaling walls overgrown with ivy and swimming underwater.

Story trailer

Released in March 2023 along with an official release date, this story trailer gives players a look at the plot of the game. It shows Gollum sneaking around Middle-earth, avoiding the clutches of orcs, the Nazgul, and other enemies.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum™ | Story Trailer

Gameplay

Gollum surrounded by enemies. — Daedalic Entertainment

Unlike most other games that bear The Lord of the Rings branding, Gollum will not feature any serious combat. “The game mixes stealth with vertical climbing parkour,” said lead game designer Martin Wilkes. “If you want a reference, you might think of it as similar to Prince of Persia. It is mostly a non-combat game, but Gollum will be able to stealthily take out enemies. However, this will not be easy and always come[s] with big risks. We want players to carefully weigh these encounters. After all, Gollum’s strengths lie in cunning, not combat.”

As far as how this will translate to moment-to-moment gameplay, expect to be triggering a lot of environmental hazards. While Gollum won’t be using weapons, he can lead his foes into deadly traps — and will even benefit from the special abilities of allies he’ll meet throughout his adventure.

When not in combat, you’ll be making some pretty big decisions during tense conversations with NPCs. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will feature a branching narrative that changes based on your decisions — will you listen to the corrupted Gollum or the slightly more innocent Smeagol? These choices will directly impact your gameplay experience, although the specifics remain murky.

The world you’ll be exploring in Gollum is a mixture of linear stages and open-world environments. “Some levels are completely open in all three dimensions and can be explored freely, while others are more linear but often with alternative routes where players can, for example, decide if they’d rather sneak around some guards or take a risky parkour route in vertiginous heights to pass the next segment,” said Wilkes.

Gollum‘s latest gameplay trailer didn’t show off too much that we didn’t already know, but we did get to see the famous anti-hero slinking around a few different maps. Gollum’s animations look pretty great in action — and the environments he’ll be exploring look even better. From dense jungles to rocky mountains, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of gorgeous backdrops to explore. We also got a look at Gollum swimming in a first-person, underwater scene, which is likely to be a great way to evade detection by Sauron’s forces. He also appears to be throwing an object around the 40-second mark of the gameplay trailer — possibly as a way to distract guards standing in his way.

Overall, it seems that Gollum will provide a unique combination of stealth, puzzles, and narrative-driven action. It’s unlike any other Lord of the Rings game we’ve ever seen and sounds like a promising mixture of gameplay elements.

Preorders

Gollum on the ground. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gollum is available for preorder at most major retailers and console stores, although no bonuses have been announced yet.

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Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…

Gaming

The best classes in Lords of the Fallen

A warrior stands in an Umbral hallway in Lords of the Fallen.

Choosing your class at the beginning of an RPG is by no means an uncommon task. What makes it especially vital in a soulslike title such as Lords of the Fallen, though, is just how impactful that initial decision is. Your choice of class not only determines what weapons and armor you begin the game with, but even more importantly, your starting stats. Some are easily understood like Strength and Vitality, while Agility is a little more ambiguous. And Radiance and Inferno are downright incomprehensible if you have no prior knowledge of them. What class you want to take is entirely dependent on how you want to focus your build, so we will run through a few picks for the best class no matter what type of player you want to be in Lords of the Fallen.
The best classes in Lords of the Fallen

Lords of the Fallen offers you nine classes to choose from by default, or 10 if you have access to the Dark Crusader class, plus three more you can unlock. We'll focus only on the base nine since those are the only ones everyone will have access to when first starting the game.
Hallowed Knight
For less experienced soulslike players, or those who just want to start off with a reliable, but basic class to get a feel for Lords of the Fallen, the Hallowed Knight is the most friendly class. It starts off with a decent sword and lots of defense thanks to a shield and heavy-class armor that will help you survive some early mistakes, while still staying in the medium equip load range. This is a class most equipped to go for a Strength build with, but you could spec a few points into Radiance as well if you want to have some backup magic on hand. Here are the Hallowed Knights starting stats:

Gaming

The best Pendants in Lords of the Fallen

A cleric fights a boss in Lords of the Fallen.

Alongside the various rings in Lords of the Fallen, pendants are your other passive charm item that grants your character some unique and useful buffs. Pendants are far more rare than rings but are generally more potent as well. When paired together, though, that's when you can really start to make some interesting and powerful builds. Before you can start mixing and matching all these buffs, you need to find the pendants that will serve you. After all, a pendant that increases fire damage won't help you if you're a traditional sword and board-type player. To help you cut down on the hunt in the ruthless world of Lords of the Fallen, here are the best pendants to collect.
Best pendants

Whereas you are arbitrarily limited to just two ring slots in Lords of the Fallen, you are equally restricted to a single pendant instead of simply draping all of them around your character's neck. There are 22 pendants in all to find, but these are the cream of the crop.
Shuja Harmony Hoop
Spellcasters are not the most popular builds in souls-like games, but can be some of the most powerful if you're willing to learn them. Even if you only use spells occasionally, this Shuja Harmony Hoop can make them a key part of your build. After you cast any spell the next spell you cast will deal increased damage for a short time, stacking for each subsequent spell you fire off. The effect is even greater if you swap between spells from different magic types. If you can stack the effect, even weaker spells can eventually deal substantial damage.
Scornful Effigy
How confident are you? If you are a master at dodges and parries and love living on the edge with a glass-cannon build, then the Scornful Effigiy is perfect for you. This pendant will drop your maximum HP, but buff your damage in return. Aside from being great for confident players, this is also a fantastic pendant for ranged builds too.
Relic of Perpetuation
Basically, the exact opposite of the last pendant, the Relic of Perpetuation is just a simple buff to your maximum HP. This is going to be more of a crutch pendant if you're finding a particular section or boss just a slight bit too challenging and need an extra hit or two to overcome but it isn't one you should be using the entire game
Princess' Sting
Your equip load in Lords of the Fallen primarily determines how quickly you move and what type of role you have. Most players will tend to opt for light or medium-level equip loads, and if you go for a light build, the Princess' Sting pendant should be an easy pick. So long as you have a light load, this pendant will make all your attacks deal additional damage. Just make sure you don't go too high or the effect won't trigger.
Paladin's Pendant
Finally, for some raw stats you can just equip and forget about, the Paladin's Pendant will give your character a buff to both strength and endurance. It goes without saying, but this is meant for strength builds, and is the best one to wear for those characters.

Gaming

The best rings in Lords of the Fallen

The Lords of the Fallen trailer.

Magical rings are nothing new to fantasy or games, and Lords of the Fallen makes good use of these little pieces of jewelry. Unlike armor or weapons, rings are an accessory that gives you passive bonuses as long as you're wearing them. While not as immediately noticeable as other gear can be, some of these rings are quite strong and can do a lot to improve your build and playstyle. Some give straight attribute buffs, while others have more conditional effects, but with dozens to pick from and find, you'll be spoiled for choice. No matter what build you're going for, these are the best rings to bling out your character within Lords of the Fallen.
Best rings

There are well over 50 rings in Lords of the Fallen, and despite your character having 10 fingers, or at least 8 if you don't count thumbs, to wear them on, you have to choose only two at a time. Rings can be found either in chests or by beating special enemies or bosses.
Ring of Nourishment
Health is your most valuable resource in Lords of the Fallen, as is the case with all Soulslikes. You have limited healing options normally, so getting through a tough or new area can wear your character down over time as you run out of healing. The Ring of Nourishment can't replace your default healing but is a great supplement to keep you going and save a few charges. Each enemy you kill while wearing this ring will restore a bit of your health. If you play carefully and smartly, you can use it to completely undo some mistakes. This ring won't do you much good in boss fights, though.
Ring of Gnawing
For the more spell-focused builds, mana is always tough to manage. Unlike stamina, which will automatically replenish itself over time, but require you to rest at a checkpoint or use a consumable item. If you have the Ring of Gnawing, you can get a bit of mana back every time you hit an enemy with a normal attack. This is ideal for builds that spec in both strength or agility and a magic focus since you can swap back and forth as you regain and spend your mana.
Ring of Duty
This is a somewhat boring pick, but if you're a more traditional build focused on hitting things hard and fast, then the Ring of Duty is an easy one to slap on. This simply buffs both your VIT and END attributes to make you that much harder to kill.
Queen Verena II's Ring
If the Ring of Nourishment is a bit too risky for you, you can always fall back on the Queen of Verena II's Ring. This is a simple HP regen ring that slowly ticks up your health over time. If you are patient enough, you can take a break after each encounter to get back to full health before moving on, though that can be quite boring.
Ring of Bones
Lords of the Fallen breaks down your equipment load into four categories: light, medium, heavy, and overburdened. Most players will feel most comfortable at either medium or light burden levels for a more fluid feeling combat flow, but keeping yourself that light is tough without forgoing some armor or weapons. The Ring of Bones can help you sneak under these thresholds by increasing your character's maximum equip load.
Mineowner's Ring
As an alternative to the Ring of Duty, or complement to it if you wear both, the Mineowner's Ring is focused only on stamina. Not only is it a better stamina buff, but it also increases the rate your stamina recovers so you can get back on the offensive as fast as possible.