The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War

VS

Last Epoch

The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War is a licensed mobile RTS/strategy game by NetEase, released in late 2021. While initial launch interest was strong thanks to the IP and solid marketing, typical player retention for mobile strategy games stabilizes at a lower active base over time. NetEase titles perform well in Asian and international markets but generally see gradual decline after 2-3 years. As a mobile-focused, session-based game (not a full persistent MMO), it likely maintains around 70,000 daily active players globally by mid-2024.

Last Epoch is an action RPG released in early 2024, developed by Eleventh Hour Games. It has received strong attention from the ARPG community, especially in the wake of Diablo IV's mixed reception. Daily player count is estimated around 70,000 based on Steam charts peaks and genre trends for new, well-received indie ARPGs. Continued post-launch content could sustain or grow this. It is not an MMO, as it does not feature a true persistent world or large-scale multiplayer environments—multiplayer is limited to smaller parties.