Officially announced back in September 2023, Tales of the Shire debuted its first trailer at a tough time for the Lord of the Rings franchise, with the infamous Gollum having launched only a few months prior. But Tales of the Shire had a much stronger premise than Gollum. The concept of a cozy Hobbit life-simulator in a similar vein to games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley was an enticing one, and one that took the franchise in a welcome new direction.