LOTRO’s Latest Expansion Is Out Now, Nearly 20 Years After The Game Launched

The Lord of the Rings Online, an MMO based on the popular fantasy series, got its latest expansion today, some 19.5 years after the game was originally released in 2007.

The new expansion is called The Wolves of Mordor, and as its name suggests, the expansion is focused on the werewolves of Mordor who are going after the people who took down their master, Sauron.

The expansion takes players beyond Gorgoroth where they will "gather unlikely allies and uncover the secrets hidden in Mordor's forgotten corners." Players will visit three new regions: Heledhris, Parth Rhavas, and Nan Ogol. In those places, players can learn new skills and receive enhancements, and then mix and match them to create a unique playstyle.

The Wolves of Mordor expansion also adds new companions called Neighbors, who have their own unique personality traits and a "dynamic mood system." Players can forge friendships with these companions, and the companions can tell the player stories, provide gifts, and send them on missions.

The Wolves of Mordor is available in a $40 standard edition, an $80 Collector's Edition with extra cosmetics, and the $130 Ultimate Fan Bundle. This version comes with even more cosmetics, additional neighbor characters, and XP boosts, among other things.

The Lord of the Rings Online has added more than a dozen expansions since it was first released in 2007. The developer Turbine created the game, which began as a subscription-based MMO before pivoting to free-to-play in 2010. Warner Bros. originally published the game, but it changed hands to Daybreak Game Company, with development shifting to Standing Stone Games.

The Lord of the Rings Online has been up and running for nearly 20 years, but it's not the longest-running MMO out there. Blizzard's World of Warcraft launched in 2004 and has been running ever since, and has remained subscription-based the whole time. 1997's Ultima Online is also still up and running.

The wider Lord of the Rings universe remains in the zeitgeist, as Prime Video's The Rings of Power show comes back for its third season in November. After that, Andy Serkis is directing and starring in the 2027 movie The Hunt for Gollum.

There are more Lord of the Rings games in the works as well, including a "deeply immersive" game from Kingdom Come studio Warhorse.