Skip to main content

Lord of the Rings Online Goes Live

Lord of the Rings Online Goes Live

Midway Games and video game developer Turbine Entertainment – known for developing online MMOGs Asheron’s Call and Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach – formally launched today Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. The game has been in development for over four years.

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, said the two companies, will let players roam Middle-earh from "the quaint surroundings of the Shire to Angmar, the vile kingdom of the Witch-king." Both regular and special editions of the game are available now at retailers for purchase for around $50 and $60 respectively.

Turbine also announced today their first expansion for Lord of the Rings Online. Shores of Evendimis scheduled to be released this coming June and will include an entirely new landscape region, over 60 additional quests, the Battle for Helegrod raid, nine new monsters and major enhancements to monster play and the music system.

“The release of The Lord of the Rings Online marks a momentous occasion for MMO gamers and Tolkien fans around the world,” said Jeff Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc, in a statement. “Countless adventures await gamers eager to experience Middle-earth in an entirely new way and we’re confident that once they’ve visited this epic world, they’ll never want to leave.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Digital Trends Staff
Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…
Is Manor Lords cross-platform?
Two armies clash in Manor Lords.

Building and managing your own medieval utopia is a lonely job. Sure, you have a population of citizens to grow and order around, but they can't compare with another actual human player. At least at launch, Manor Lords is a PC exclusive, and it's also going to be coming to Xbox consoles as well so even more people can get in on the city-building fun. We can expect basically any modern game to allow for cross-platform play, but what if Manor Lords is stuck in the Middle Ages? Here's everything you need to know about cross-platform support for the latest and greatest management simulator.
Is Manor Lords cross-platform?
Without beating around the bush, no, Manor Lords has no cross-platform support. Even when the game is available on Steam, PC Game Pass, and Xbox consoles, there will be no way to play with others on different platforms. In fact, you can't play with people on the same platform, either. Manor Lords has no multiplayer component whatsoever -- either co-op or competitive -- so there's no reason for this feature to be included.

Sadly, you shouldn't expect any multiplayer to come to the game later. A developer released an FAQ prior to the game's launch and responded to a question regarding multiplayer, stating: "The focus is on a refined single-player experience, with no multiplayer or cooperative modes planned at the moment."

Read more
Tales of the Shire is a The Lord of the Rings-themed take on Stardew Valley
A Hobbit gardens in Tales of the Shire.

Private Division revealed a new game set in the Middle-earth universe called Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game. The title, developed by Wētā Workshop Game Studio, is a cozy life simulator set within the world of the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

In 2022, No Rest for the Wicked publisher Private Division first teased that it was working on a game based on The Lord of the Rings with Wētā Workshop, the visual effects studio whose initial claim to fame was working on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Wētā Workshop has technically had a game studio since 2014, but Tales of the Shire will be its most significant release yet.

Read more
How to play Mario Kart 8 online with friends
Mario, Link, Isabelle, and a Squid Kid race down the track in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch.

Multiplayer games began as purely local events. If you wanted to play with, or against, your friends, there was no other option than to get together either at someone's house or, if you're going even further back in time, at a local arcade. While playing locally is still a great way to play, it isn't always an option. Online multiplayer is not only more convenient most of the time, but it has become the norm for nearly all modern multiplayer games.

Read more