The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Sequel Quietly Hinted as Durin’s Folk DLC Marches Toward Launch

The dwarves may be heading deeper into the dark. A sharp-eyed LinkedIn find suggests that The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria – the 2023 survival-crafting adventure set in the mines beneath the Misty Mountains – has a true sequel in development at Free Range Games. The clue comes via a recently laid-off Executive Producer whose profile references stewardship over the post-production lifecycle of the Return to Moria “franchise (and sequel)”, alongside an unannounced, big-budget project. The note was surfaced by industry sleuth Timur222, and while it’s not an official press release, the phrasing reads less like speculation and more like a matter-of-fact description of ongoing work.

What the LinkedIn clue actually signals

Buried in the resume bullet points is a tidy synopsis of high-level responsibilities: leading creative and technical initiatives, coordinating global teams, and aligning milestones with studio growth. Most intriguing is the explicit reference to a sequel attached to the Return to Moria name, implying the dwarven delving isn’t ending with post-launch support. The same profile mentions oversight of a new, unannounced IP supported by a $100 million budget and a 130-person distributed team. For a Sausalito-based independent studio, those figures place the mystery project squarely in the AA/AAA conversation.

Why Return to Moria earned another swing of the pickaxe

Return to Moria carved its niche by merging Tolkien lore with survival-crafting rhythms: reclaiming halls, building bases, venturing into procedurally generated tunnels, and striking at the rock face in search of ore, relics, and answers. The mention of a sequel suggests the game performed well enough – financially or in active engagement – to justify a second expedition. Expect talk of deeper simulation, more reactive environments, sturdier co-op infrastructure, and a broader fantasy toolkit: think smarter enemy factions, more meaningful settlement systems, and story arcs that stitch player progress into the grand project of rebuilding Khazad-dûm.

Durin’s Folk DLC: a meaty stopgap – and a testbed for the future

Before any sequel is unveiled, Free Range Games is rolling out Durin’s Folk, a substantial expansion slated for November 18 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The studio bills roughly twenty hours of fresh adventures layered with systems that could preview the sequel’s philosophy. Highlights include:

• Recruitable dwarven NPCs with distinct skills, expanding your party beyond friends in co-op and adding a strategic, management-lite flavor.
• New locales and hubs, such as the Durin’s Tower area, trading camps near Moria’s gates, and a recruiting camp at Dimmer Dale, broadening fast-travel and economic loops.
• Delving management: construct buildings and operate mining bases with longer-term planning, nudging the game toward settlement stewardship rather than simple outposts.

Each of these features pushes Return to Moria closer to a colony-sim cadence. If players embrace the added complexity, expect those learnings to inform the sequel: richer assignment systems for companions, more resilient supply chains, and narrative events that spring from the state of your delvings.

Meanwhile: a nine-digit new IP looms

The unannounced project described in the same profile raises eyebrows. A $100M budget signals significant technology investment and a runway for multi-year live support. The cited emphasis on remote collaboration and mentorship also hints at mature production pipelines – the kind you build when you plan to ship something ambitious, then sustain it.

Middle-earth’s broader gaming moment

Tolkien games are in flux. Amazon’s Middle-earth MMO has been canceled – twice – leaving a void for large-scale adaptations. At the same time, rumor mills keep churning about a separate action title positioned as a rival to Hogwarts Legacy. In that context, a focused, systems-driven Return to Moria sequel could thrive by doing what it already does well: making the restoration of Khazad-dûm feel like an epic, communal project rather than a one-and-done quest.

What to watch next

Until Free Range Games raises the curtain, treat the sequel as a strong, but unofficial, signal. Keep an eye on job listings, engine mentions, and future DLC notes – the breadcrumbs studios often leave as projects scale up. For now, November 18 belongs to Durin’s Folk and the promise of sturdier bases, bustling camps, and loyal dwarves answering the call of the hammer and anvil. For Tolkien fans, that’s already a welcome sound echoing through the halls of Moria.