Shocking Exposé Reveals Dark Secrets Behind the Making of Lord of the Rings Gollum Studio

Highlights

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum faced numerous controversies, which may be due to behind-the-scenes issues and toxic work environment, according to a recent report.

The game garnered negative reviews and fell short of sales projections. Moreover, there are now allegations of the leadership enforcing unpaid overtime and attempting to underpay employees. As a consequence, Daedalic Entertainment, the developer, has faced significant backlash and consequences. This includes the suspension of another Lord of the Rings game and a transition from in-house development to publishing.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, considered one of the year's most poorly received video games, has now become even more controversial due to a recent report. The report reveals disturbing allegations against the developers at Daedalic Entertainment, further adding to the numerous controversies surrounding the game's development and release.

Originally announced in March 2019, the game faced several delays before finally being released in May 2023. Unfortunately, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum garnered negative reviews and failed to meet the publisher's sales expectations. It appears that the game's shortcomings may be attributed to internal issues and troubling conduct by those in positions of authority.

In a recent video, Game Two, a German publication, interviewed more than 32 individuals involved in the game's development, uncovering the underlying issues that went wrong behind the scenes. These issues included, but were not limited to, the implementation of uncompensated overtime, attempts to underpay staff, and a toxic work environment stemming from poor leadership. Additionally, the game's production cost amounted to nearly $16 million, and at least one developer described the overall atmosphere as fear-inducing. The same report also exposed that the apology for The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was written without the development team's knowledge or consent, utilizing ChatGPT technology.

Furthermore, sources from other publications such as IGN confirmed these accounts, asserting that the toxic practices employed by Daedalic were widely known in the German gaming industry. Though Game Two's video included a statement of denial from the publisher, the aftermath of the game's performance and alleged mismanagement is evident. Originally announced in May 2023, the development of another Lord of the Rings game by the Gollum developer has been temporarily halted, likely due to the negative response received by Gollum.

In addition, in June 2023, it was announced that Daedalic Entertainment had ceased game production and let go of several employees. Although the studio has not completely shut down, it will be transitioning from internal development to focus on publishing. The future implications of these allegations on the company are yet to be determined.