Middle-earth: Shadow of War brings orcs and the Nemesis System to iOS and Android

The free-to-play mobile game based on Middle-earth: Shadow of War is now available on iOS and Android. It arrives ahead of its bigger cousin’s launch on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on October 10.

Though Shadow of War on mobile won’t feature the same kind of open-world role-playing action, it will still incorporate the Nemesis System, which enables enemy orcs to recall past battles and encounters. Familiar faces such as Gandalf the Grey and Gimli will also make an appearance alongside characters like Talion from the upcoming console game. Most of the gameplay revolves around real-time battles. Players can recruit orcs and select three heroes to lay siege on Sauron’s forces. They can also upgrade their characters’ skills by either sacrificing orcs or earning Rings of Power.

Other mobile games based on popular franchises have amassed followings, such as Disruptor Beam‘s Star Trek: Timelines and Bethesda’s Fallout Shelter, which was the first mobile companion game to a bigger console and PC release (in this case, Fallout 4) to see success. Even if the mobile incarnation of Shadow of War doesn’t stand on its own, it may succeed in simply drumming up more excitement for Shadow of War on PC and consoles.

IUGO Mobile Entertainment is creating the mobile version of Shadow of War, along with Warner Bros. Games San Francisco and Monolith Productions, a WB studio and the developer of the console version of Shadow of War. In the past, IUGO has helped turn other blockbuster franchises into mobile games, such as The Walking Dead.