Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced Guardians of Middle-earth, a Lord of the Rings multiplayer online battle arena. Developed by Monolith Productions and due to release this Fall for Xbox Live Arcade, Guardians will bring ten players against each other in a five-on-five battle set in... well, the location seems a bit self-explanatory. Players will be able to join each other in PVP battles and have each other's swords, and their bows, and their axes.

The game will offer more than twenty iconic characters as guardians, including Gandalf, Sauron, Gollum, and Thrain. Along with the main PVP gameplay, Guardians will include in-game voice communication, as well as comprehensive stat and leader board charting. Guardians is meant to be a tie-in with the upcoming release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey motion picture, as fans can look forward to several new playable guardians releasing in conjunction with the film.