The Nemesis system, which became the hallmark of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, remains one of the most innovative game mechanics. However, its creation was driven not only by creative vision but also by market factors.

As former WB Games executive Laura Fryer revealed in an interview with GamesRadar, the main reason for developing the Nemesis System was... the used game market. Warner Bros. noticed an alarming trend: the number of people who played Batman: Arkham Asylum far exceeded the number of new copies sold. This indicated rampant disc resales through retailers like GameStop, which cut into the publisher’s profits.

The developers faced a challenge: how to make a single-player game so unique that players wouldn’t want to sell it. Creating a GTA-style open world or adding multiplayer wasn’t feasible due to technical constraints. As a result, Monolith Productions devised the Nemesis System, which made each playthrough distinct.

The mechanic allowed orcs to remember player actions, rise in rank, seek revenge for defeats, and adapt to combat styles. This generated personalized in-game narratives.

Fryer called the Nemesis System one of the most creative mechanics in recent years. While it inspired Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s developers, Warner Bros.’ patent (valid until 2036) prevents other studios from freely using or iterating on the concept.

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