Tales of the Shire Hits Xbox: Microsoft Brings Hobbit Life Sim to Middle-earth Fans This Fall

Microsoft confirmed Tales of the Shire will launch this fall, giving Xbox players a new way to live out Hobbit fantasies straight from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Developed by W?t? Workshop and published by Private Division, the game lets fans build a whole Hobbit life in Bywater, complete with gardening, fishing, baking, and decorating a burrow.

Microsoft sets the experience up as a laid-back life sim, offering a stark contrast to most high-stakes fantasy adventures. Players can customize their Hobbit character, decorate their snug home, and grow crops right in the rolling hills. Friends can be invited for tea parties in-game, with cozy group activities standing in for boss battles or loot runs. The game swaps epic quests for quiet afternoons and mushroom-foraging, dialing into a community vibe instead of combat.

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By setting the action in Bywater, fans get a familiar village that pulls from the details of Tolkien’s original description. W?t? Workshop used its Lord of the Rings expertise to pack Shire life with tiny, specific touches: winding stone walls, mossy rooftops, and taverns offering a second breakfast. Xbox players can expect regular post-launch updates, with Microsoft joining W?t? Workshop to tease seasonal festivals and new décor.

Tales of the Shire fits into Microsoft’s broader strategy of investing in cozy, social-first games. While the Xbox lineup is known for action franchises, games like this draw new audiences by trading in pace for peace. Stardew Valley fans and Tolkien enthusiasts will see the appeal. With no enemies to defeat or timer to beat, the game runs at the speed of a sleepy Hobbit afternoon.

Preorders open now, ahead of the official release later this year on Xbox consoles and Windows PC.

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