'Guardians of Middle-earth' melds 'Lord of the Rings' and DOTA

'The Hobbit' tie-in game is coming to PSN and XBLA.

Guardians of Middle-earth will introduce Lord of the Rings lore to DOTA-like gameplay when it hits the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live this fall, according to publisher Warner Bros. Interactive.

Developed by Monolith Productions, Guardians takes place in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-Earth and will feature tie-ins to this December's film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, directed by Peter Jackson and produced by New Line Cinema.

Players will face off against each on in five-on-five matches, with battles taking place in various locations from Tolkien's epic. The game will include major plot-points from The Hobbit, as well as a handful of familiar characters such as Gollum and Gandalf to engage in battle. These characters can also fight alongside players as "guardians," similar to "heroes" in League of Legends.

The game's first trailer will premier on Spike's GTTV on May 31 at 1:00 a.m. during the network's pre-E3 show. Several new playable guardians will be released in the months leading up to Jackon's film, inviting active participation in his vision of Middle-Earth.