{"id":28642,"date":"2026-08-05T14:37:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T09:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=28642"},"modified":"2026-08-05T14:37:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T09:37:30","slug":"lord-of-the-rings-officially-announces-new-sauron-prequel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=28642","title":{"rendered":"Lord Of The Rings Officially Announces New Sauron Prequel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The life of Sauron is arguably the most interesting and persistent narrative thread in <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/lord-of-the-rings\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em><strong>The Lord of the Rings<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, and Tolkien&#8217;s writings beyond that. From his early days as Morgoth&#8217;s greatest servant, to his temporary fall in the Second Age, and his return, that nearly plunged the entirety of Middle-earth into darkness. <\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/best-mmorpgs\/\" target=\"_blank\">best MMOs of all time<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"lord-of-the-rings-wolves-of-mordor-is-coming\">\n                        Lord Of The Rings: Wolves Of Mordor Is Coming<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.302083333333%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"LOTR Online Mordor\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lotr-online-mordor.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">LOTR Online Mordor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As first <a href=\"https:\/\/gamerant.com\/lord-rings-online-lotro-wolves-mordor-dlc-expansion-reveal\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a> by GameRant (via an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmorpg.com\/interviews\/exclusive-lotros-the-wolves-of-mordor-expansion-brings-two-ambitious-new-systems-to-middle-earth-this-fall-2000138623\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">MMORPG<\/a> exclusive), <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/lord-of-the-rings-free-game-download\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Lord of the Rings Online<\/em><\/a> has confirmed the upcoming release of its latest DLC, <em>The Wolves of Mordor<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re familiar with the lore, you&#8217;ll be unsurprised to know that the expansion focuses on Sauron&#8217;s time as The Lord of Werewolves (or Wolves), an honorific given to him during <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/when-lord-of-the-rings-set-middle-earth-timeline\/\" target=\"_blank\">the First Age<\/a>. He was known as the creator of Tolkien&#8217;s version of the legendary animals, and he was even known to fight in his own wolf form from time to time.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The Neighbor system is also debuting this time around, and it&#8217;s a bit of a Hobbit&#8217;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).<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"lord-of-the-rings-fans-should-mark-their-calendars\">\n                        Lord Of The Rings Fans Should Mark Their Calendars<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lord of the Rings Online: The Best PvP Builds\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ss_2d0ecf22f819ac78f476077ee9566985856bdee41920x1080.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Lord of the Rings Online: The Best PvP Builds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The only small caveat is that we don&#8217;t have a full release date for the expansion just yet, though the developers behind <em><strong>The Lord of the Rings Online <\/strong><\/em>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&#8217;re already a fan of Tolkien&#8217;s world building.<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card type-video-game large\" data-show-streamrentbuy-links=\"true\" data-include-community-rating=\"true\" id=\"25c3-43da-bae60c31b319\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content\">\n<div class=\"display-card-content image-column\">\n<p>                        <!--    Rating block community and brand ratings --><br \/>\n                        <!--  Image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-img \" data-stnl-group-once=\"jHT9cwB1kj\">\n<div class=\"body-img portrait \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  img-article-square\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"960\" height=\"1440\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-08-dec-2024-01-45-am-2433.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!-- User Rating widget --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-card-content info-column\">\n<div class=\"w-display-card-highlight-info\">\n                            <!--  Display card tags widget --><\/p>\n<p>                            <!--  Display card system widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-pills-group\">\n                                        <span class=\"pills-group-title\">Systems<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"pill-group-items\">\n                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/pc\/\" class=\"pill-group-item\" title=\"PC\"><br \/>\n                                                                                                                                                                                    <img width=\"100\" height=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"PC-1\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/07\/pc-1.png?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=50&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/07\/pc-1.png?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=50&amp;dpr=2\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                                                        <\/a>\n                                                                                                                                                                                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!--  Display card community and brand rating widget --><br \/>\n                                                                         <!--  Display card open critics widget --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-info main-info\">\n<dl>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Released<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApril 24, 2007<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>ESRB<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tT For Teen due to Blood and Gore, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Developer(s)<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStanding Stone Games<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Publisher(s)<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDaybreak Game Company<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Engine<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tHavok<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Multiplayer<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOnline Multiplayer<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!--  Display card media widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card media widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to play button preview --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to play preview end --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <!-- Extra content section, display hidden by default --><br \/>\n            <input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"extra-content-25c3-43da-bae60c31b319\" name=\"extra-content-25c3-43da-bae60c31b319\" class=\"expand-extra-info-checkbox css-menu-checkbox\"\/> <!-- Checkbox: control the expandable behavior  of the extra info --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- Display card footer --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- PROS and CONS section --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The life of Sauron is arguably the most interesting and persistent narrative thread in The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien&#8217;s writings beyond that. From his early days as Morgoth&#8217;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&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/sauron-in-lord-of-the-rings.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28642\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}