Athlon Games Partners with Middle-earth Enterprises

to Publish Multi-Year Online Game Based on The Lord of the Rings™



Athlon Will Apply Its Live Services Expertise & Top Western Development to Create An Engrossing New AAA Experience for One of the World’s Most Powerful IPs



LOS ANGELES — Sept. 4, 2018 — Today, Athlon Games, a global publisher of console and PC games, announced it has signed a long-term licensing agreement with Middle-earth Enterprises to develop and publish a video game based on The Lord of the Rings. Athlon Games is working with a partner developer to create an online game set in the world of Middle-earth™ at a time long before the events of The Lord of the Rings, exploring lands, people and creatures never seen before by fans of the Tolkien universe.



“It’s a singular opportunity to work closely with Middle-earth Enterprises to create a completely new experience for fans of the landmark fantasy work of J.R.R. Tolkien, and we are excited about the resurgence of interest in The Lord of the Rings IP,” said Dave Miller, president, Athlon Games. “This, along with several other major properties Athlon is working with, will help us to further our goal of creating AAA cooperative console and PC experiences that gamers will want to play for years to come.”



“We are extremely pleased to work with Athlon Games to create a new, immersive game experience, exploring epic regions in Middle-earth during the years leading to the events of The Lord of the Rings,” said Fredrica Drotos, Chief Brand & Licensing Officer at Middle-earth Enterprises. “Athlon’s game will allow millions of Middle-earth fans throughout the world a unique opportunity for fellowship and epic exploration.”



Athlon Games, and its parent company Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited, which also owns Digital Extremes and Splash Damage, is marrying its deep expertise with free-to-play game design and service with Western development and strong IP to create top quality console and PC games that have global appeal.



“We believe in Athlon Games’ model to collaborate closely with Western developers to implement incredibly successful live services, while also giving its partners the autonomy they need to develop outstanding game experiences,” said Alex Xu, CEO of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited. “At Leyou, we’ve seen great success implementing this strategy with other titles, such as Warframe. Now we can expand our footprint in the West with Athlon Games.”



Los Angeles-based Athlon Games is a newly formed publisher headed up by industry veteran Dave Miller, formerly of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Codemasters and NBC Universal. For more on Athlon Games, visit www.athlongames.com.



About Athlon Games

Athlon Games, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited, is a global publisher of free-to-play console and PC games headquartered in Los Angeles. Athlon Games combines its expertise in free-to-play console and PC games with Western development to create AAA cooperative console and PC experiences that gamers will want to play for many years.



About Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited

Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited is a fast-growing developer and publisher of interactive entertainment for gamers worldwide. The company is a leader in the free-to-play multiplayer market, developing and operating games through its subsidiaries including Digital Extremes (Canada), Splash Damage (UK), King Maker (Beijing) and Radiance (Guangzhou China) and invested associates Certain Affinity (US) etc. Leyou, a publicly traded company on Hong Kong Exchange (1089.HK), also owns a global publishing platform branded as Athlon Games headquartered in Los Angeles. Leyou mainly focuses on high-quality multiplayer online games on PC and consoles, and adopts a “Games as a Service (GaaS)” operating model. The company owns the flagship game Warframe, an award-winning free-to-play game, and is developing multiple other AAA free-to-play games at the same time. For more corporate information please visit http://www.leyoutech.com.hk.



About Middle-earth Enterprises

Inspired by a deep appreciation for the fictional world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle-earth Enterprises is dedicated to working with businesses providing quality products in accordance with best green business and sustainability practices, including fair trade, equality in the workplace, and a commitment to protect our earth, its wondrous beauty and the viability of every living creature.



The Saul Zaentz Company dba Middle-earth Enterprises, has been producing and licensing films, merchandise and stage productions based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for more than 40 years. With headquarters located in Berkeley, California, its website may be found at www.middleearth.com.



Press Contact

Jeremy Long

fortyseven communications for Athlon Games

303-835-0089

athlon@fortsyeven.com