Weta Workshop is expected to release the Hobbit life simulator Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game sometime in early 2025 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Here, players will be able to live the relaxing lifestyle of a Hobbit in the emerging village of Bywater. While the game is single player, gamers can still take part in numerous fun activities to help build up Bywater, including decorating Hobbit Holes, trading with townsfolks, and hosting extravagant meals with neighbors. Players may also encounter some familiar, iconic faces in Bywater, but there’s one pair who may shine exceptionally well in Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game: the trouble making cousins Merry and Pippin.
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The Lord of the Rings’ Merry and Pippin Explained
Both The Lord of the Rings book and film trilogy feature four Hobbits as primary protagonists in the war to defeat the Dark Lord Sauron. Fans of the books and films likely remember Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee as the duo that trekked across Middle-earth to Mount Doom and destroyed the One Ring. However, some fans might have forgotten two other Hobbits that helped Frodo and Sam on their quest: Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. All four Hobbits were childhood friends, but Merry and Pippin were the most troublesome of the bunch, even being recognized by the wizard Gandalf the Grey for their pranks and thievery.
It was Merry and Pippin’s fun-loving nature that got them entwined in Frodo’s quest to destroy the One Ring when they stole crops from a local farmer and ran into Frodo and Sam on the way to the Prancing Pony. Once they joined the Fellowship, their goofiness reduced slightly but still appeared throughout in times of celebration such as the aftermath of the Battles of Helm’s Deep and Isengard. However, their foolishness still showed at times of great peril, including when Pippin awoke the Goblins in the Mines of Moria and when he later picked up Saruman’s Palantir. Merry was generally shown to be the smarter of the two cousins.
Merry and Pippin’s Feats and Legacy
Despite their fun-loving and often foolish personalities, both Merry and Pippin showed great bravery in the War of the Ring. The two were able to convince the tree-like Ents to fight the evil wizard Saruman and attack Isengard. Pippin journeyed with Gandalf to Gondor, helped defend the city from Orcs, and saved Faramir. Merry traveled with Eowyn to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and helped defeat the Witch-king of Angmar. Both of the Hobbits later helped fight Sauron’s final army at the Battle of the Black Gate and even led in the Battle of Bywater to free the Hobbit village from Saruman’s control in the books.
Both Merry and Pippin were buried alongside Aragorn when the three heroes died in Gondor decades after the War of the Ring.
Merry and Pippin’s Potential Roles in Tales of the Shire
Tales of the Shire’s exact place in The Lord of the Rings timeline is still relatively unknown, but there is still potential for Merry and Pippin to appear in the game. So far, only one main character from The Lord of the Rings has shown up in the game’s marketing, Gandalf the Grey, setting Tales of the Shire before The Fellowship of the Ring. While there’s a long stretch of time before the Fellowship, Tales of the Shire could be set after The Hobbit in order to allow Bilbo Baggins to offer some of his Dwarven treasure as possible decor and for young Merry and Pippin to appear in the game.
Merry and Pippin could serve as NPCs who can be seen occasionally pulling off pranks or stealing some things from the player’s neighbors in Bywater. This could provide some comedy and fun chaos to the relatively peaceful life in Bywater. Merry and Pippin could additionally act as NPCs who give players quests to retrieve items that are needed for some of their dastardly deeds. This could encourage players to explore more of the area around Bywater and offer players more of a chance to interact with some of the most famous Hobbits. In short, adding Merry and Pippin to Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game could help exemplify that this game is set in one of the most optimistic and jolly places in all of Middle-earth.
From the creative studio, Wētā Workshop, live the cosy life of a Hobbit in the wonderfully serene landscape of the Shire. Discover, decorate, and share in this idyllic corner of Middle-earth. Join friendly Hobbits and familiar faces awaiting your arrival in Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings™ Game.
Create your own Hobbit as you set forth in Bywater. Though not yet established as an official village in Hobbiton, play a part in helping the quaint town flourish. Greet comfort at the door as you decorate your own Hobbit hole, tend to your garden, fish at the clear ponds, forage wild fruits and herbs, or trade with townsfolks. Prepare homemade meals to share with fellow Hobbits and foster relationships.
With much to see and lots more to eat, enjoy days of splendor in the picturesque forests, lakes, and pastures.
Unwind in the place where what matters most are all the little things. Help bring the community together to achieve village status in Bywater. Experience delight in Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings™ Game.
- Released
- March 25, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Wētā Workshop