Guardians of Middle-Earth bends Lord of the Rings canon

Monolith has had to risk offending hardcore Lord of the Rings fans with new MOBA Guardians of Middle Earth.

Speaking to Eurogamer, producer Ruth Tomandl said that the realities of game design just don't allow for "purist" interpretations of beloved characters.

"We are bending how the match-ups would play out in 'real life'. Obviously, every character needs to have a chance against every other character," she said.

"This isn't a game necessarily for purists, and the purists will realise that."

Hence your opportunity to beat Sauron up with Gollum, or team Galadriel with a villain. We can hear you choking on your neckbeard from here.

Guardians of Middle-Earth releases in northern autumn on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, around the time The Hobbit hits cinemas.