The life of Sauron is arguably the most interesting and persistent narrative thread in The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien’s writings beyond that. From his early days as Morgoth’s greatest servant, to his temporary fall in the Second Age, and his return, that nearly plunged the entirety of Middle-earth into darkness.
That said, many of the adaptations we have seen so far have him as more of a background figure, a looming threat spoken about in hushed whispers by those who seek to stop him. Now, though, a new release is on the way that puts the big bad at the center of the equation, and it comes from one of the best MMOs of all time.
Lord Of The Rings: Wolves Of Mordor Is Coming
As first reported by GameRant (via an MMORPG exclusive), The Lord of the Rings Online has confirmed the upcoming release of its latest DLC, The Wolves of Mordor. The update is centered on the titular region where Sauron made his home in Middle-earth, with the emphasis being placed on three new areas in the region, Heledhris, Parth Rhavas, and Nan Ogol.
If you’re familiar with the lore, you’ll be unsurprised to know that the expansion focuses on Sauron’s time as The Lord of Werewolves (or Wolves), an honorific given to him during the First Age. He was known as the creator of Tolkien’s version of the legendary animals, and he was even known to fight in his own wolf form from time to time.
From a gameplay perspective, the expansion adds a new Survival Instinct system, an account-wide progression path built specifically to track players journey in the new regions. As part of that, players will be granted new abilities, skills, and passives as they work through, rather than leveling up in the traditional format of an MMO.
The Neighbor system is also debuting this time around, and it’s a bit of a Hobbit’s dream, allowing players to build their relationships with NPCs, via daily interactions, quests and gifting. The expansion also comes with all of the usual new instances, for three and six players, as well as a raid (though that is launching a little later on).
Lord Of The Rings Fans Should Mark Their Calendars
The only small caveat is that we don’t have a full release date for the expansion just yet, though the developers behind The Lord of the Rings Online have scheduled Fall of this year as the window when we can expect it. That makes it a great time to try the MMO out for the first time, particularly if you’re already a fan of Tolkien’s world building.
- Released
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April 24, 2007
- ESRB
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T For Teen due to Blood and Gore, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Standing Stone Games
- Publisher(s)
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Daybreak Game Company
- Engine
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Havok
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
