Though Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is due to release for current-gen consoles and PC on September 30th, Warner Bros. Interactive has confirmed that the anticipated Tolkien-inspired RPG has been delayed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by six weeks.
Originally, the title was slated to launch across all platforms simultaneously, but this recent announcement has meant that Shadow of Mordor won’t arrive on last-gen systems until November 18th and November 21st in North America and Europe, respectively.
The reasoning behind the postponement is simply that the two versions “need more time in development,” meaning that those PS3 and Xbox 360 players will have to wait a little while longer before taking the fight to Sauron.
Developed by Monolith Studios — the creative minds behind cult PC shooter, F.E.A.R — Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor orbits around one Talion of Gondor, a ranger who is his mysteriously revived from the dead and granted wraith-like abilities. From there, out otherworldly protagonist embarks to Mordor to enact his revenge against Sauron.
Splicing together the exploration elements from Assassin’s Creed with the combat system found in Rocksteady’s Arkham series, Shadow of Mordor has garnered a groundswell of support since is was initially unveiled back in November of last year. It remains to be seen whether this truly is the next-gen debut for the Lord of the Rings franchise that fans have been hoping for, but Monolith’s title is certainly shaping up to be one of 2014’s sleeper hits.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will launch as expected for PS4, Xbox One and PC on September 30th, whereas PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will have to wait patiently until November 18th.