Hidden Steam listing hints at The Lord of the Rings: War in the North re-releasing

Fans of The Lord of the Rings games have been shouting from the top of the Misty Mountains for many years about remakes, re-releases, or even remasters, especially with iconic titles such as The Lord of the Rings War in The North, or the slew of EA produced titles based on the Peter Jackson movies, and, of course, the iconic Battle for Middle-Earth titles.

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However, none have been announced or released, with the last LOTR title being The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, and, well, we all know how that one played out. It's safe to say LOTR fans have been in a drought for a new good game based on the beloved world that Tolkien created, but maybe that is just around the corner, as a Reddit user noticed a new listing in the SteamDB database. The user wrote they "accidentally spotted" the listing "Slinky", which is in the "EULAS" section under "name" - The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.

It's possible the SteamDB listing "Slinky" is a codeword for the re-release of this title on Steam, as it was removed from the platform in 2018 along with every other relevant digital storefront, such as Xbox Marketplace and the PlayStation Store. The only way to play it is via a physical disc or an illegal download. It was removed from digital marketplaces over licensing issues with the Tolkien Estate.

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It's likely that the licensing agreement the owners had with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the publisher of War in the North, expired, resulting in Warner Bros. losing the right to sell the game. As for when we could see a re-listing of War in the North on Steam, or possibly even a remake/remaster, it's anyone's guess. But I do find War in the North an odd choice for a remake/remaster, especially considering the popularity of the title versus other LOTR games.