Back in February, we heard that The Saul Zaentz Company, the owner of Middle-Earth Enterprises, was looking to auction off the IP rights for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. In a surprise move, Embracer Group has now revealed itself as the buyer. 

Just a few months after snatching up historic IP like Deus Ex and Tomb Raider, as well as the development studios behind them, Embracer Group is investing further in major IP by acquiring Middle-Earth Enterprises. The acquisition means Embracer will own the IP rights for The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other Middle-Earth related works.

Embracer will be free to create its own games, films and merchandise based on The Lord of the Rings and related properties. The company can also choose to continue licensing out the IP, as a number of studios are already working on their own licensed projects.

This year alone, Embracer Group has acquired some of the biggest entertainment properties of all time. Combine that with the company's growing army of studios and publishers, and it looks like Embracer is going to be very busy in the years ahead.

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KitGuru Says: We don't know how much this ended up costing, but previous estimations put the value of Middle-Earth Enterprises at $2 billion. Embracer already owns a number of big studios that could take on a big new LOTR project. Who do you think should step up to the plate first? 

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