Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition Is Now Available Across Five Platforms

The surprise release revives the three-hero campaign with three-player online co-op, two-player split-screen on supported platforms, and 60fps support everywhere except the original Switch.

53 2 minutes read

Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition is now available across five platforms. Aspyr released the Legacy Edition on August 11, 2026, covering PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Switch, and PC.

On PS5, the Legacy Edition is priced at $19.99 / £18.99, while PS Plus subscribers can claim a 10% launch discount. The Legacy Edition is also listed at $19.99 on Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch, and PC. The release brings back the action RPG developed by Snowblind Studios, which originally launched in November 2011 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. The original PC version was later delisted from Steam; SteamDB’s app record shows that it was removed in February 2019 after the delisting process began in late 2018, although the reason was never made clear. The Legacy Edition is now available through the Steam page for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition. It is described as optimized for solo play.

Originally, War in the North was a linear hack-and-slash dungeon crawler set in Middle-earth. Its campaign supported up to three players through online multiplayer or split-screen co-op. The Legacy Edition retains three-player online co-op, while local split-screen supports two players and is unavailable on the original Switch.

The Legacy Edition also adds adjusted enemy-target locking, updated AI, an updated interface with Health, Mana, and EXP bars for party members, autosave functionality, additional save slots, and bug fixes. Performance reaches 60 frames per second on every platform except the original Switch. PS5 and Nintendo Switch versions also support gyro controls.

The campaign follows Agandaûr, a servant of Sauron who raises an army in the ruins of Fornost. The story unfolds while Frodo and Samwise begin their journey toward Mount Doom, giving the game its own adventure alongside the familiar events of The Lord of the Rings.

Three heroes lead the co-op campaign

Players can switch between three Orc-Banes during play, with each hero built around a different role and combat style:

Eradan is a Dúnedain Ranger who relies on stealth, bows, and precise sword strikes.
Andriel is an Elven Loremaster who supports the party with healing and area-of-effect magic.
Farin is a Dwarven Champion with heavy defenses and strong melee attacks.

Hero customization lets players adjust skills, abilities, gear, and the weapons they find during the campaign, influencing how each character handles combat. Parties can also summon the Great Eagle, Belaram, to attack enemies from above.

Alongside the new Fellowship, the adventure includes cameos from Aragorn, Gandalf, and Elrond. The journey also visits the Elven sanctuaries of Rivendell and Lórien, the Lonely Mountain, and Mirkwood.

Aspyr hints at more classic releases

Aspyr has described War in the North as its first The Lord of the Rings title and says more classic releases from the franchise will follow. The studio has not named those games or announced a release window.

A trailer accompanies the release:

The PS3 release holds a 61 Metacritic score. Reviews generally praised how well it captured the atmosphere of The Lord of the Rings, while criticizing repetitive gameplay, dull level design, uninteresting characters, and a collection of bugs.

Share your thoughts about the surprise release in the comments, and follow the latest updates on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a co-op Action RPG that immerses you and your friends in a brutal new chapter in the War of the Ring. Snowblind Studios is in the unique position of drawing inspiration from both the literary and film rights to world of Middle-earth, allowing players to bloody their axes on a wide range of deadly enemies and traverse both established and never-before-seen locations. The result is a journey that is both epic and intimate, familiar yet unexpected.