The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™

Survival· Dwarves· Base Building· Open World Survival Craft

Released Aug 2024

A survival crafting adventure set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth. Lead the Dwarves to reclaim Moria - mine, build, and battle through procedurally generated depths alone or with up to 8 players in co-op. It is time to return to Moria!

81% positive · 12K reviews

Not yet

Released, but still in active development

Medium confidence

Active Development

Not yet

Released, but still in active development

Medium confidence

Active Development

Where to buy

Steam Updated 12 Oct 2026 $29.99 Green Man Gaming Steam key Updated 12 Oct 2026 $29.99 IndieGala Steam key Updated 12 Oct 2026 $29.99

Prices in USD, as listed by each store.

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Evaluation

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria launched on Steam on August 27, 2024, and Free Range Games has maintained a robust, sustained content release cadence ever since. The game has received major content drops at roughly quarterly intervals: the Winter Update with the Rohan Pack and Yule-tide Pack (December 12, 2024), the Ent-craft Pack alongside Update 1.5 (March 26, 2025), the Orc Hunter Pack (June 10, 2025), the Beorn's Lodge Pack (August 12, 2025), and the game's first major paid expansion — Durin's Folk — on November 18, 2025, which added over 20 hours of new story content, NPC companions, new outdoor areas, and a new end-game economy. A performance and stability patch (1.6.7) followed on February 12, 2026, addressing issues introduced by the expansion. A news post from August 31, 2026 — the most recent developer communication — promotes Stranded Deep 2, a separate upcoming game from the publisher (North Beach Games). While this is not a Return to Moria update, it confirms the studio remains active. Notably, this post makes no mention of Return to Moria's development concluding. All eight currently listed DLC items are released, and the developer has not announced a final update or an end to content development. Given the consistent quarterly cadence of major releases from launch through November 2025, and the last major content drop being approximately nine months ago (as of today, September 3, 2026), the current silence is approaching the outer edge of the established pattern. However, no developer statement signals the game is complete, and the pattern of cosmetic DLC packs and major updates has been strong enough and consistent enough that an additional release remains plausible.

Evidence

Durin's Folk Expansion launched alongside Title Update 1.6, described as the 'largest update yet,' adding over 20 hours of new story content, NPC companions, new outdoor areas, expeditions, and an updated end-game economy.

news post · Nov 18, 2025 source content shipped

high

Beorn's Lodge DLC launched. Post notes the team is 'currently working on the Durin's Folk expansion' and that the next big base-game update will accompany it, indicating active development at that time.

news post · Aug 12, 2025 source content shipped

high

Content

8 of 8 released · no outstanding content

Released

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™ Durin's Folk Expansion

Nov 2025

Released

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™ Beorn's Lodge Pack DLC

Aug 2025

Media

Details

Developer

Free Range Games

Publisher

North Beach Games

Achievements

Platform

Windows

Controller

full support

Steam Deck

Playable

Players

Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op

Dwarves Base Building Open World Survival Craft Survival Exploration Crafting Building Adventure Open World Action-Adventure Sandbox PvE RPG Action Character Customization

About this game

Summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer himself, you must answer the call and reclaim Moria, the legendary home beneath the mountain! You will need both your axe and your wit to survive, craft, build and explore the deep, sprawling mines. But beware, many dangers still lurk in the shadows…

Set in a procedurally generated Dwarven realm of Moria, no two adventures will be alike. Journey on your own or call upon your online companions to aid you!

KEY GAME FEATURES

Live the story - Restore the long-lost ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm to its former glory and recover Dwarven landmarks as the story progresses.

Explore the Mines - Procedurally generated environments are filled with resources, hidden secrets, and dangers, offering a new experience every time you venture into the mines.

Build the Bases - Reveal and clear new locations to create architecture on a grand scale. Get creative and construct bases from scratch or build upon the existing environment.
Survive the Dark - To survive, you must conserve resources, hunt and gather for food and manage sleep, temperature, and noise levels.

Craft the Tools - Craft and loot legendary armor, weapons, and tools. Rebuild legendary forges and rediscover Dwarven crafting and smithing technologies.