The Hobbit free-to-play tactical tie-in game available today on browsers and Facebook

Free-to-play tactical combat game The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age, inspired by Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema's The Hobbit film trilogy, is available now on Facebook and in browsers, Warner Bros. Interactive announced today.

The game, created by free-to-play social games studio and Kingdoms of Camelot developer Kabam, sends players into battle alongside the starring characters of author J.R.R. Tolkien's classic story, including hobbit Bilbo Baggins, wizard Gandalf and Dwarven hero Thorin Oakenshield. Players will team up with other players online to control armies of Dwarves, Elves and Orcs in a battle waging across the landscape of fantasy world Middle-earth.

Kabam and Warner Bros. launched another The Hobbit tie-in game last November, free-to-play strategy game The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth for iOS and Android. Users build their own kingdoms in Middle-earth and form alliances with other players online to defend them.

The launch of The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age coincides with the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at retail earlier this week.