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Update 39.2 Release NotesApr 17, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 39.2 Release Notes Here are the release notes for Update 39.2, released on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024. Instances and Legendary Traceries: Instances can no longer award legendary (gold) traceries unless the instance is set to a level cap, and also require players themselves to be at that level cap, or up to 3 levels below it, in order to receive legendary traceries. This means that instances such as The Doom of Caras Gelebrin will henceforth only award incomparable (teal) traceries when the instance is set to level 141-149, but can award legendary traceries when set to level 150. If the instance in question is set to level 150, players present when the chest is opened must be between the levels of 147 and 150 if they want to receive legendary traceries. This is true for any historical level caps as well: you can run instances at level 130, for example, to earn legendary Morgul traceries, but the players present must be levels 127-130. General Notes: The Streets of Râhal Bakh Khâshap's Chest now has a chance to drop a Legendary tracery on tiers 4-5. Isle of Storms Raghârik's Chest now has a chance to drop a Legendary tracery on tiers 3-5. The Arena Dahâl Huliz Arena Champion's Chest now has a chance to drop a Legendary tracery on tiers 3-4. The Depths of Mâkhda Khorbo Well-worn Corsair's Chest now has a chance to drop a Legendary tracery on tier 3-4. Forgotten Smuggler's Chest now has a chance to drop a Legendary tracery on tier 2. Azagath's Sea-shadow and his crew are now more aggressive and responsive to players who enter the arena to face them. Slapping Tentacles will now throw stones at random players if left alive too long (exact time depends on the instance tier). Hâkraph's Static Shock is now much more damaging, and will correctly damage players near the Crackling Conduit. The Arenas of Conflict meta Deed 'Deeds of the Arena of Conflict' will now bestow and complete properly. The Algraig, Men of Enedwaith, have erected a Task Board in Lhanuch where five new level 60 task quests can be found that award reputation with their faction. These tasks are also available from the Neighborhood Task Boards. Monsters with skill power costs were using significantly too much power per skill play. These power costs have been adjusted to a more appropriate scale. Classes Beorning's Umbari Armour of the Razor Claw (red set) once again restores Wrath over time as intended. Fixed issues with Beorning's Bond of Trust, Honey Cleanse, and Desperate Shouts, which were not functioning correctly or consistently due to incorrect skill-type flags on many of their skills. Brawler's Umbari Armour of the Iron Fist's 4-set bonus will no longer proc off of Auto-attacks. Burglar's Sudden Diversion no longer inappropriately resets the cooldown of Touch and Go. Captain's Telling Mark should no longer toggle off when its target is temporarily debuffed by a Mariner's Marked Foes effect. Rune-keeper's Fulgurite and Molten Runestone damage is now correctly classified as T...Update 39.1.2 Release NotesApr 10, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 39.1.2 Release Notes Here are the Release Notes for Update 39.1.2, released on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Of Special Note: Tier 4 Arrives Shortly for The Depths of Mâkhda Khorbo! The Depths of Mâkhda Khorbo Tier 4 unlocks at Noon Eastern (-4 GMT) on April 11th, 2024. The Leading the Charge deed remains available to complete until 3:00 AM Eastern on June 6, 2024. News and Notes: The Depths of Mâkhda Khorbo Crocodiles now correctly tail swipe players standing behind them. Lightning Strike in Belondor's Encounter damage increased ~60%. Sturdy Tentacle morale reduced ~50%. Slapping/Sweeping Tentacle Health reduced ~10%. Thunderous Roar is no longer dependent of players having pets actively summoned in the encounter space. Lesser Crushing Tentacles should no longer spawn below Tier 4. Lesser Crushing Tentacle health has been reduced dramatically. Lesser Crushing Tentacles can no longer spawn on player pets. Greater Crushing Tentacles should no longer be able to attack players, since they are busy crushing boats. Modified the deed list for the tiered Makhda Khorbo deeds to call out the bosses and in the correct order. Fixed an issue where Belondor and his crew could potentially become locked out of entering combat. Crushing tentacles that wrap boats in the space between a head down phase will now submerge with the head and re-emerge with the head. This prevents the launching of derelict boats at Umshûra's head during the head down phase. There was an issue in the Makhda Khorbo raid where Azagath might fail to engage if his crew was engaged. This has been fixed. Azagath's crew now call out specific players to target slightly less frequently. Sallax's battle-wary effect now clearly state that it restores Morale when Sallax is struck. Frigid Squall now deals some damage to players. Corsair Shades now have Adaptation on Tiers three through five. Dahal Huliz, the Arena Rothog's low cut arrow volleys are now smaller and shorter than Shaidal's. Reduced Hammer Down and Rupture damage significantly. Reduced Pooling Blood Initial Hit Damage. Shadow Burst Damage reduced 25%. Shadow Burst is now a distributed hit with a small radius. Word of Frost has had its damage reduced slightly, but it now has 10% Mitigation penetration. Beorning Trample's debuff should now be refresh-able without waiting for it to first expire. With Umbari Armour of the Razor Claw equipped, Call to Wild no longer suggests that it restores morale. Brawler The Umbari Armour of the Iron Fist's Sinister Cross bonus effect no longer stacks with itself if Sinister Cross is used repeatedly without using a Finisher skill. Burglar The Mischievous Glee Healing tracery should now correctly improve the healing from Mischievous Glee. Captain Several Captain skill effects have been incorrectly stacking with similar effects from other classes that are meant to be mutually exclusive. These have been cleaned up, and should no longer stack, as expected. This includes Telling Mark & Marked Foes (Mariner...Update 39.1 Release NotesMar 20, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 39.1 Release Notes Here are the release notes for Update 39.1, released on Wednesday, March 20th, 2024. Of Special Note: Lootboxes have been updated! Adventurer's and Traveller's Steel-bound lootboxes contain new "Silent Hunter" cosmetic items including avatar cosmetics, a steed, and matching war-steed appearances, a Sitaka cosmetic pet, plus new housing items including a silent hunter tapestry and pelt. These items are also available on Myrtle Mint for Figments of Splendour. Adventurer's and Traveller's Steel-bound lootboxes also now contain Silent Hunter Cloaks, a Silent Hunter Mask, and Silent Hunter Garden Perch and Settee housing decorations, which are not available through Myrtle Mint. News and Notes: Classes: Lore-master - Players are no longer able to use Bear taunts in six or twelve player Instances. Items: Several new instance rewards used in crafting recipes should now correctly be able to be placed into Crafting Carry-alls: Pieces of Petrified Driftwood, Iridescent Jets, Crackling Opals, Effervescent Moonstones, and Flaming Zircons. Certain items, designed to catch players up to specific level cap content, will now grant reduced statistical bonuses once your character has advanced beyond the designed catch-up level. These items will remain available for use but apply a diminished statistical benefit at the level cap where experience or currency bonuses end: Shield of the Hammerhand, Earring of the Dead City, Empowering Earring of the High Elves, Focusing Earring of the High Elves, Weightless Earring of the High Elves, Fateful Gundabad Earring, Flowing Silver Stone, Flowing Silver Stone of the Tortoise, and Fleet Merchant's Earring. The Dagorlad Wastes Frame granting item received from the Legendary Items Reward Track Season 9 has been corrected so that it binds to account. Quests and Adventure Areas: The Arena A number of skills and effects have had their damage tuned slightly - some up, but mostly down. Boss damage, especially from Ulanor and Rothog, was a bit higher than we'd like in the Tier 3 version of this instance. Crowd Work puddles have been adjusted slightly, and should now give more balanced effects. Ulanor: Reduced initial and DoT Damage of Haemorrhage. The Haemorrhage bleed now falls off in potency much more dramatically as it tiers down. Reduced initial damage of Inferno Fixed AoE targeting of Haemorrhage Akhmâr Redstorm will now correctly use Bastion of Light. All Bosses have had their damage reduced by five to ten percent, had their health increased by ten percent, and had their movement speed increased. Heart Seeker's Bleed potency has been reduced. Slam now deals less damage and follows a chat callout. Inferno now has a chat callout. Stagger now lasts three seconds per tier and tiers down when each tier expires. Nakrov no longer chains his horn abilities one after the other. Isle of Storms Ground effects in boss fights now clean up when the fight ends. The Deadly Cyclone is now less likely to follow non-main t...Update 39 Release NotesMar 13, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 39: Arenas of Conflict Release Notes Here are the release notes for Update 39: Arenas of Conflict, released on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024. Of Special Note: Three new instances and a new raid are now available! All three instances and raid are available to play for anyone who has acquired Corsairs of Umbar. Open the Instance Join Panel by pressing Control+J on your keyboard. Here are some details about these new Instances: 3 Person Instances: The Streets of Râhal Bakh: From the apothecaries of Carn Dûm to Langstrand all the way to Umbar, Indagir now known as Khâshap has been transporting a draught of the vilest make. We now grasp at his heels as he makes his final attempt to deliver this substance to his master. We will not fail. We cannot. Khâshap must be stopped, now! Isle of Storms: A great winged terror known to the people of Umbar as a Roc has been seen attacking ships sailing off the Cape of Umbar, swamping them with terrible winds and plucking the hapless crew out of the water. The lords of Umbar have requested that you find the nesting place of this monstrous bird and drive it from the Shield Isles. The Roc is believed to be roosting upon a deserted isle in the far reaches of the archipelago, once a haunt for pirates and brigands. Rumours say that they were driven out by strange and monstrous creatures, far greater in size than any beast should be.... 6 Person Instance: Dahâl Huliz, The Arena The gladiator pits of Umbar Baharbêl are an instrumental aspect of the Umbaran culture. The battles in the arena of Umbar serve many purposes to the city. Foremost, the arena battles entertain the masses. Second, the arena battles serve to mete out justice against the city's greatest offenders. Since taking control of Umbar, the Kindred of the Coins altered the arena's rules. Capital punishment and wanton death are a thing of the cruel past. Combat is now a sport for the masses to engage with and enjoy. Anyone can enter the pit to enhance their glory. The gladiators bound to the arena serve their sentences by entering battle and fighting to the end.... These instances are currently available through Tier 3 difficulty, and will unlock through Tier 5 difficulty at Noon Eastern on March 21, 2024! 12 Person Raid: The Depths of Mâkhda Khorbo After the confrontation in the Citadel of Winds, the ship bearing Azagath, Belondor, and Nakási, Reaper of the Waves sails north-west into the shadow cast by the Mâkhda Khorbo. Pursuing the trio, you enter the depths of a long-hidden cavern leading through dank, twisting passages ending at an iron-wrought gate. The smells of the sea, iron, and ash assail you as you press deeper beneath the land and closer to the remnants of the temple ruins. This new raid is currently available at Tier 1 difficulty, and unlocks through Tier 3 difficulty at Noon Eastern on March 21, 2024! The Leading the Charge deeds for these Umbar instances and raid will be available to complete until 3:00 AM Eastern on June 6, 2024. The Depth...A Letter from Orion – January 2024Jan 16, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsA Letter from Orion – January 2024 The calendar turns, and 2023 moves behind us. We welcome the New Year with grace and humility. We are about to celebrate LotRO's 17th year with no sign of slowing down on the horizon. At the outset of 2023, we provided our first roadmap for the game and the lofty goals we dreamed of achieving. It was an aggressive set of objectives preparing the game for a long and fruitful future. We did well getting to the core elements of the roadmap. In some areas, our ambitions overreached our ability. In other areas, we surpassed our expectations. It was also a successful year as we sang shanties aboard our ships as we sailed to Umbar. For 2024, our approach is providing more content and an additional hobby to continue your exploration and enjoyment of Middle-earth. We want to ensure that our communication is clear and open as it can be. In the image below, you will see our quarterly roadmap with clever and tantalizing verbiage to whet your appetite for the coming year! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3952956/5b3e8bb85d9d09b9b4759ff6fa7ef68596e6daef.jpg Winter of 2024 sees the conclusion and release of all content related to Corsairs of Umbar, the addition of delvings to the Elderslade missions, and an enhancement to the Delving system we are calling Epic Malices. Gives you the chills just reading it, right? As we move into the revelry of spring and the celebration of 17 years of The Lord of the Rings Online, we return with a content pack featuring time-released quests as you become further embroiled with the Kindred of the Coin and their plans. We'll also make some of the landscape creatures a little more compelling to encounter and fight. As spring turns to summer, we introduce a new hobby and provide updates to classes, monster play, and introduce the fourth profession. We are also planning an update to Elf avatars and a refresh of our VIP systems. In the autumn, we will release a new expansion pack that takes us east of Umbar Baharbêl visiting four new zones, encountering a new culture, exploring the waste and a vast complex that serves as the staging ground for the instances and raid included with the expansion pack. Outside of the expansion, we intend to make some crucial changes to the kinship system expanding the role, importance, and value of kinships. It is a New Year! We are all very excited about the future, what lies ahead, and how we carry this cadence of releases into the future. As always, I remain Orion.Update 38.0.1 Release NotesNov 15, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 38.0.1 Release Notes Here are the release notes for Update 38.0.1, released on Wednesday, November 15th, 2023. Of Special Notes: New rewards in Adventurer's and Traveller's Steel-bound Lootboxes! Adventurer's and Traveller's Steel-bound lootboxes contain new "Harmonious" cosmetic items including avatar cosmetics, a steed, and matching war-steed appearances, a falcon cosmetic pet, plus new housing items including a falcon perch, miniature tree, miniature tree in winter, and planter in spring. These items are also available on Rowan Raspberry for Figments of Splendour! Adventurer's and Traveller's Steel-bound lootboxes also now contain a Sea-side Sand-lurker cosmetic pet and three macaque-themed housing items. These items are not available to barter with Rowan. Some older avatar cosmetics and steeds have been moved off of Rowan Raspberry and onto the Curator. The 8th Season of the Legendary Item Reward Track has arrived! New rewards and a reset track have arrived! Rewards include a Sculpture Garden with Elvish Pavilion, a Tome of the Young Moose, a Tome of the Frost Tusk Youngling, and a Red Painted Skeleton Mount. News and Notes: Classes The red line version of "Catch a Breath" now properly advances relevant deeds. Crafting Ingredient requirements for many Umbar crafting recipes have been adjusted. In most cases this reduces the amount of ingredients required for crafting. This change also removed the requirement for Red Sea-stones to craft uncommon gear, and standardized the number of Red Sea-stones required for rare gear across professions. The Crafting category for instruments is now "Instruments" instead of "Minstrel Instruments" since there are now Mariner instruments. Craftsfolk Branda Rumble, Birrungur Blacksteel, Tralli Hammerfist, and Giles Chadwick have remembered their names. Crafted Umbari Crossbows are now using their proper DPS tables. Items Adventurer's Lootboxes opened at level 141 and higher now correctly give their proper level 141 Sea-faring Adventurer's Humble Essence Box instead of level 140 Delving Adventurer's Lively Essence Boxes. The following cosmetic pet tomes can now properly be acquired via barter, even after you have learned the cosmetic pet skill they grant: Tome of the Light Grey Goat, Tome of the Coffee Goat, Tome of the Burgundy Goat, and Tome of the Dark Grey Squirrel. Umbari scholar battle scrolls are now available from the Umbar reputation faction Quartermaster. Older items now disenchant for their proper rewards. Overseer, the Hiddenhoard Raid Reward Vendor now accepts Motes of Enchantment rather than Embers of Enchantment to exchange a piece of Hiddenhoard gear for a piece from a different set. Skirmish soldiers have had some of their broken scaling progressions fixed that caused them to have abnormally low stats in the mid-levels. PvMP Malavin, the Angmarim Emissary to the Ettenmoors has leveled up to match the baddies around her. The new Ettenmoors food and buff scroll effects are now properly remove...Update 38: Corsairs of Umbar Release NotesNov 8, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 38 Release Notes Here are the release notes for Update 38: Corsairs of Umbar, released on Wednesday, November 8th, 2023. Of Special Note: Corsairs of Umbar has arrived! Face the Rising Tide of the Kindred's Power! Unfurl the sails and brace yourself for the intoxicating rush of adventure as you approach the enigmatic shores of Umbar! Feel the sea's salt kiss your face and the promise of untold tales beckon from the horizon. Here, in the heart of the City of the Corsairs, dark-bannered vessels whisper of legendary raids alongside the Kindred of the Coin's power plays. With King Elessar's mandate in your heart, rally a crew of old friends and newfound allies. Dive headfirst into the dangerous shores of Umbar, find your sea legs with the new innovative Mariner class, and reclaim the spirit of discovery in lands that LOTRO has never ventured before! Find Your Sea-legs With The Mariner Chart your own course with the Mariner, slashing through foes with slick swordplay, belting out rousing sea-shanties, and pulling off crafty moves that'll have enemies spinning in confusion. Explore the Shores of Umbar Discover the bustling Corsair haven, where sun-kissed shores meet the shadows of dark-bannered ships, and tales of legendary raids echo through its vibrant ports. ] Fight Fierce New Enemies From the striking coastlines of Outer Gondor to the sandy stretches of The Shield Isles, untold dangers and formidable adversaries lie in wait! Over 350 Unique Quests Venture deep into Umbar's heart, navigating political intrigues and ancient mysteries, as the formidable Kindred of the Coins rise, threatening the fragile peace King Elessar and Queen Arwen have fought so hard to achieve. Unique End Game Content Charge into an increased level 150 cap, dive into pulse-pounding instances, and gain access to an exciting new raid; prepare for an adventure like no other! Get More with Collector’s and Ultimate Fan Bundles Unlock the ultimate seafaring experience with unique cosmetics, pets, and extra expedition supplies today! Learn more about Corsairs of Umbar on LOTRO.com! Corsairs of Umbar features content for level 140 to 150 characters and continues the story of "The Song of Waves and Wind"! Players can start the previously-released Chapter 1 of "The Song of Waves and Wind" or acquire the newly-released Chapter 2 of the story by speaking with Glindor in Minas Tirith (Midsummer). Completion of Chapter 1 is required to begin Chapter 2. Access new landscapes and other content in Corsairs of Umbar by traveling through Linhir, in Dor-en-ernil, in King's Gondor. A dock-master network is available between all of the major harbors of King's Gondor (Pelargir, Dol Amroth), Outer Gondor (Lond Cirion), Shield Isles (Halrax) and Umbar Barharbel. News and Notes: Classes Player melee skill ranges have been normalized. This means most damaging melee skills should now have the same range across classes, though there are some exceptions. In light of this change, many persistent, har...Update 37.2 Release NotesOct 3, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 37.2 Release Notes Here are the release notes for Update 37.2, released on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023. Of Special Note: Corsairs of Umbar is now available to pre-purchase! Face the Rising Tide of the Kindred's Power! Unfurl the sails and brace yourself for the intoxicating rush of adventure as you approach the enigmatic shores of Umbar! Feel the sea's salt kiss your face and the promise of untold tales beckon from the horizon. Here, in the heart of the City of the Corsairs, dark-bannered vessels whisper of legendary raids alongside the Kindred of the Coin's power plays. With King Elessar's mandate in your heart, rally a crew of old friends and newfound allies. Dive headfirst into the dangerous shores of Umbar, find your sea legs with the new innovative Mariner class, and reclaim the spirit of discovery in lands that LOTRO has never ventured before! Find Your Sea-legs With The Mariner Chart your own course with the Mariner, slashing through foes with slick swordplay, belting out rousing sea-shanties, and pulling off crafty moves that'll have enemies spinning in confusion. Explore the Shores of Umbar Discover the bustling Corsair haven, where sun-kissed shores meet the shadows of dark-bannered ships, and tales of legendary raids echo through its vibrant ports. Fight Fierce New Enemies From the striking coastlines of Outer Gondor to the sandy stretches of The Shield Isles, untold dangers and formidable adversaries lie in wait! Over 350 Unique Quests Venture deep into Umbar's heart, navigating political intrigues and ancient mysteries, as the formidable Kindred of the Coins rise, threatening the fragile peace King Elessar and Queen Arwen have fought so hard to achieve. Unique End Game Content Charge into an increased level 150 cap, dive into pulse-pounding instances, and gain access to an exciting new raid; prepare for an adventure like no other! Get More with Collector’s and Ultimate Fan Bundles Unlock the ultimate seafaring experience with unique cosmetics, pets, and extra expedition supplies today! Learn more about Corsairs of Umbar on LOTRO.com! News and Notes: The Mariner: Mariners are confident melee fighters who wield swords deftly to challenge the forces of evil. Mariners have an innate sense of the flow of combat, and use their balance to adjust their fighting style to best fit the moment. Mariners also know how to use combinations of individual movements to create powerful skill chains. In fellowships, Mariners can use shanties to coordinate and motivate their allies, as well as craft strange concoctions to confound and disrupt foes. Balance - Mariner's use a forward-backward system called Balance. In that system, your three main states are 'Aftward' 'Steady' and 'Foreward.' You will default to a 'Steady' state, and the skills you use will push your balance Foreward or Aftward. Watch out, though! If you find yourself too far to either end of the balance spectrum, you become unbalanced, and will need to quickly move back towards Stead...Update 37 Release NotesAug 31, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 37 Release Notes Here are the release notes for Update 37, released on Tuesday, August 29th, 2023. Of Special Note: Introducing the River Hobbit​ A new starting race is now available! The last of their kind remaining east of the Misty Mountains, River Hobbits are a lithe and silvan folk, steeped in wood-lore and attuned to the mountains where they remain hidden. Dwelling among the dells of the Misty Mountains, the River Hobbits of Misthallow are a rustic folk, quick-tongued and nimble-fingered. Known mainly in old tales and songs, they seldom venture outside their secret vales. River Hobbits are now available to purchase in the LOTRO Store! When creating a new River Hobbit, you may select any class to play except Beorning. River Hobbits may start their journey in a new unique tutorial by selecting the "Shadows of Angmar" tutorial option during character creation, or River Hobbits may choose to start "Before the Shadow" in the town of Mossward. Access to quests and deeds in Swanfleet as well as the Before the Shadow Prologue, Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, and Afterword will be included with any River Hobbit Bundles for those who do not already own the Expansion: Before the Shadow. Read more about the River Hobbit bundles on LOTRO.com! The Humble Homes of the Holbytlan​ For what seems like ages, the speculation on what lies behind the closed gates south of Lyndelby has been wild. Many of those speculations have been on the mark! Since its creation, we have always planned to introduce a neighborhood beyond the gate and were just waiting for the right time to do so. That time is now! Each Lyndelby Homestead neighborhood includes: Four Base Premium Smials Six Deluxe Premium Smials One Stately Base Premium Smial One Stately Deluxe Premium Smial One Premium Kinship smial. This valley will also be supported by a suite of town services and a handful of social spaces to gather as a community (as the Holbytlan love to do!). Decorative fencing debuts alongside this neighborhood, allowing you to pick and choose what you want your property bounds to look like. This feature joins ambient environment and music hooks to round out the yards of your home. Learn more about player housing and tour or purchase a home by visiting the Housing Broker's Office in Bree-land! Speak to Almetha Sitchel to get started. Forester Crafting Event - Begins September 15th! We have added our first Crafting Event to the game! The event takes place at the Combe Lumber Camp and, when active, the Camp is decorated by flags, new hide stretchers, craft tables, wood piles, and bears for skinning. If you are in Breeland, you will get an announcement alerting you that the event will begin in 15 minutes. Contestants can make their way to the lumber camp and acquire the quest from Wilkin Thorne, Mason Thorne's son. As the event coordinator, Wilkin will bestow the quest to any forester, regardless of their proficiency. Read more about the Forester Crafting Event on LOTRO.com. Get the quest and ...Update 36: Gondor Renewed Release NotesMay 31, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 36 Release Notes Here are the release notes for Update 36: Gondor Renewed, released on Wednesday, May 31st, 2023. Of Special Note: A New Story Begins in A Renewed King's Gondor! After the defeat of Sauron, King Elessar and Queen Arwen seek to bring peace to their kingdom, but the danger is not gone and new foes seek to threaten Gondor. Adventure awaits in the new zone of King's Gondor East, set after the War of the Ring when fresh breezes have dispersed the fumes of the Dawnless Day and allowed the sun to shine again! Discover the beginning of a new Epic-style storyline, 'The Song of Waves and Wind,' and team up with Legolas, Gimli, and friends both old and new to investigate the continuing threat of the Heirs of Castamir! The Song of Waves and Wind A new story debuts with Gondor Renewed called "The Song of Waves and Wind"! For characters level 140. Start the first chapter by speaking to Glindor in Minas Tirith (Midsummer)! This new story is available to anyone who is VIP, purchases the "Gondor Renewed" quest pack, or who purchases quest packs associated with the story that are released in the future. King's Gondor Awaits Gone are the gloomy dark skies, replaced with bright and sunny fields and hills. Players familiar with the original Central and Eastern Gondor regions will be familiar with King's Gondor from a navigation standpoint, but there are new additions, and places players previously could not go are now open to allow for further exploration! The Quest Pack "Gondor Renewed" unlocks more than 80 quests and Deeds for level 140 characters. Includes King's Gondor East and The Song of Waves and Wind. Free to VIPs! How do I get to King's Gondor? Go to Minas Tirith (After Battle) and head South through the Pelennor Fields. Exploration is now possible beyond the point where there previously stood an impassable! Questing begins in this area of the Pelennor Fields and in the under-construction version of The Harlond. From there, you can explore Gondor up to Linhir, where the gates are currently closed.​ Landscape Difficulty: The Paths of Valour! We have reworked the Landscape Difficulty setting system introduced with Treebeard and are now opening it to the general game worlds as an option! Read full details about this new Landscape Difficulty option in the release notes below.​ A new Faction and new rewards are now available by playing these higher difficulties. Activate your difficulty and adjust it in the future by speaking with a Hardened Traveller, which can be found in major hubs and new player zones throughout Middle-earth: Outside of the Prancing Pony in Bree Near the Stable Masters outside of the 21st Hall Just inside of the exit of Post-Raid Archet Just outside of Mossward Along the road Northward out of Celondim Just outside the door to Thorin's Hall Down the road from the Hobbit starter area exit waypoint There are titles available for activating a difficulty of 3 or higher and keeping it there from level 10 to level 50, and then...Lord of the Rings Online devs try to put fans at ease over Amazon's LOTR game announcementMay 20, 2023 - VG247Standing Stone has said its MMO Lord of the Rings Online "is not going away," despite future competition from Amazon. Speaking on a forum post, senior community manager Cordovan reassured players the game is not shutting down anytime soon. "During the past few days, we’ve received a number of notes from excited and concerned community members about a new MMO coming to the Tolkien-verse from Amazon Games," reads the forum post. Read more Update 35 has been released!Mar 27, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsOf Special Note: Angmar Reborn: Carn Dûm After suffering countless setbacks and defeats, the last remnants of the Iron Crown have returned to Carn Dûm, hoping to wield a lost artifact of the Witch-king of Angmar to win dominion over the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. Aid the Hill-men of the North and their allies in the fight to cast off the Iron Crown once and for all! This Update features 3 new Instances, and soon a new Raid, for Level 140 Players set in a re-imagined Carn Dûm! Players who wish to aid in the fight against the Iron Crown should travel to Bail Avarc in Angmar. Bail Avarc can be reached via the stable-masters at Esteldín, Gath Forthnír, and Rivendell. Bail Avarc can initially only be accessed via stable-master routes, but other options for Swift Travel are available for barter from the Stewards of the Iron-home. Small Fellowship: Sant Lhoer, the Poison Gardens - (Available for tiers 1-3) Thaurisgar, the Vile Apothecary - (Available for tiers 1-3) Fellowship: Sagroth, Lair of Vermin - (Available for tiers 1-3) Raid (COMING SOON): Gwathrenost, the Witch-king's Citadel Updates to the Last Homely House The Last Homely House in Rivendell has had a beautiful makeover! Read the entire Update 35 Release Notes on LOTRO.com!Before the Shadow has arrived!Nov 15, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 34 Release Notes Here theease notes for Update 34: Before the Shadow, released on Tuesday, November 8th, 2022.  Of Special Note: Before the Shadow has arrived! Before the shadows lengthened in Angmar, forces of evil threaten the safety of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth! Delve into the mysteries of the One Ring as you embark on a perilous journey through Swanfleet and the remnants of the kingdom of Cardolan, encountering new friends and old foes. Adventure with Boromir of Gondor and combat the rise of the villainous Grey Fear before bringing word of the growing threat to Elrond of Rivendell, where a Fellowship of heroes will be formed... Adventure through a new early leveling experience, take on old foes, and reunite with old friends. Fight for victory against those who wish to restore the kingdom of Angmar in the latest Lord of the Rings Online expansion, Before the Shadow! Delvings debut! Delvings are a new mechanic debuting with Before the Shadow's Missions! To get started, log into the game on any character that has reached the level cap after purchasing Before the Shadow and you’ll receive an item through the in-game mail that begins a quest to start Delving! Speak to any of the new Missions NPCs in Before the Shadow to access Delvings. You can find Before the Shadow Mission NPCs at the Camp in Andrath, Clegur, Herne, Lhan Garan, Tharbad, and South Downs. NOTE: Characters must be at the world’s level cap in order to access the Delving system. New Starter Instance! A new starter instance is available to newly-created characters for players who have purchased Before the Shadow! Create a character, Select starting tutorial ‘Before the Shadow', and run the new Instance: Mossward, the Border Village. New Skirmish! A new skirmish is now available to players who have purchased Before the Shadow called "Doom of Caras Gelebren"! Experience the Second Age and the fall of Eregion and aid Celebrimbor in repelling the forces of the Enemy! This Skirmish is available to players level 20-140, and can be played Solo, Duo, Small Fellowship, Fellowship, or Raid. The new Skirmish is accessible via the Instance Join panel once you have completed the general Skirmish Tutorial. To run the Skirmish Tutorial visit any of the Skirmish Captains in Skirmish Camps located throughout Middle-earth. Coming Soon - New Scaling Instance! A new Fellowship scaling instance will soon be available to players who have purchased Before the Shadow called "Sarch Vorn, the Black Grave"! Explore one of the oldest barrows of Tyrn Gorthad and face off against a powerful foe roused by the passage of the Witch-king of Angmar! This scaling instance is available to players level 20-140, and can be played Solo, Duo, or in a Fellowship. Once you have discovered its entrance in the hills of Cardolan,  Sarch Vorn will be accessible via the Instance Join panel. "Sarch Vorn, the Black Grave" opens through Tier 3 difficulty at noon server time on Thursday December 1st. The deed, "Sarch Vorn...Update 33.1 Release NotesJul 20, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 33.1 Release Notes Here are the Release Notes for Update 33.1: The Further Adventures of Elladan and Elrohir, release date Wednesday, July 20th, 2022. Of Special Note The Further Adventures of Elladan and Elrohir have arrived! Soon after Frodo's rescue from the Ford of Bruinen, the scouts of Rivendell venture forth, seeking news on the Enemy and his servants. Lord Elrond has given his sons, Elladan and Elrohir, a secret errand. Join the twins on their journey from Rivendell to the distant land of Lothlórien! Players can start Further Adventures by talking to Elrond in his library in Rivendell. Rewards can be exchanged with Celeblír outside the Last Homely House. Updates from the PvMP Front! Experience the thrill of player versus player combat with new PvMP Options. You can become a monster player after your main character reaches level 2. If you wish to fight on the side of heroes, you can ride your character into the Ettenmoors at level 20, where you will be scaled up to better handle the carnage. Audacity is now essential for survival in the Ettenmoors. As you reach level 140, you will acquire more Audacity and gear to better handle the fight! For a full list of changes and updates to PvMP in the Ettenmoors, please see the PvMP section.  News and Notes The dynamically scaling stats on the following items have been adjusted to be more appropriate across all levels and increase above level 130: "Shields of the Hammerhand", "Earrings of the High Elves", "Earring of the Dead City", and "Fateful Gundabad Earring". The stats granted by the following traits have been adjusted to be more appropriate across all levels and increase above level 130: "Man of the Fourth Age", "Hobbit-stature", "Fateful Dwarf", "Friend Of Man", "Emissary", "Unwritten Destiny", and "Those Who Remain". Some player-level based stat progressions were tweaked a bit to smooth out values below level 105. Events Treasure Bugan The Treasure Bugan’s base spawn chance is now 75%, an increase from 25% - 33%. The "Theodore Gorse’s Lucky Feather" item has been changed: Now guarantees that a Treasure Bugan will spawn when used in a qualifying instance. Still lasts 90 minutes, but expires in real-time. Can no longer be purchased for "Coins of the Bugan". Now costs 10 Mithril Coins, an increase from 5. Daily Quest “Seeking the Treasure Bugans!” has been updated: Now requires you to slay 3 Treasure Bugans instead of 4. Now offers the following rewards: 400 VXP Picker Box of basic crafting Materials 1 "Treasure Bugan's Cache", which offers a choice of the following: "Enhancement Runes" x3, Incomparable "Sealed Tracery": Incomparable "Universal Optional Ingredient" "Universal Solvent" Picker Box of crafting shards The once-per-event quest “Thwarting the Treasure Bugans” now offers the following rewards: 2000 VXP "Crate of Crafting Materials" 1 "Treasure Bugan's Cache", which offers a choice of the following: "Enhancement Runes" x3, Incomparable "Sealed Tracery", Incomparable "Universal O...Update 33 Release NotesApr 20, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 33 Release Notes Here are the Release Notes for Update 33: The Yondershire, released on Wednesday, April 20th, 2022. Of Special Note Celebrate 15 Years of The Lord of the Rings Online!  This year we are partying in a big way, with all sorts of giveaways, events, and more! The Anniversary Event begins at 10:00 AM Eastern (-4 GMT) on April 20th, 2022, and runs until 3:00 AM Eastern on May 11th. Our Anniversary Event takes place inside The Lord of the Rings Online, starting at the Party Tree, located on The Hill in The Shire (location: 29.9S, 71.5W). When you first log in while the event is active you will also receive a message in Available Quests, which will get you a free map to take you there. Once there, make sure to pick up the wrapper quest “Another Lovely Year” by speaking to Waldo Rumble by the Party Tree! This year we are debuting a new Festivity Instance called “A Flurry of Fireworks!” Help bring about the greatest fireworks display Bree-land has ever seen! Find “A Flurry of Fireworks” in the Seasonal Instances category of the Instance Finder. The Instance Finder can be opened by pressing Shift+F or by navigating to it in the Main Menu. This year's Anniversary Event features a ton of new items to barter and earn! Among the new rewards are cosmetic items, a steed, and war-steed cosmetics “of Crystal Resolve”, a new Golden Crystal Beetle cosmetic pet, new fireworks consumables, a new housing fire pit and fireplace, and the debut of a new pet: the Corgi! Corgis can be bartered for Festivity Tokens, Anniversary Tokens, or Mithril Coins. Some Corgis are being helpful and hauling a cart while others are running unburdened. Everyone who logs in during the Anniversary Event will also receive a free Corgi pet. Make sure to log in between 10:00 AM Eastern on April 20th and 3:00 AM Eastern on May 11th to pick up your “Happy 15th Anniversary” gifts!  Additionally, we will once again have a 15-Year Giftbox available in-game that can be claimed by logging in between April 20th, 2022 after 10:00 AM Eastern (-4 GMT) until 3:00 AM Eastern (-4 GMT) on April 1st, 2023. The Yondershire beckons you! Welcome to the northern region known as the Yondershire, a sparsely populated region of moor, thicket, and fen that has long been home to Hobbit recluses and troublemakers. Since the time of Bullroarer Took, the Yondershire has squabbled with the more comfortable parts of the Shire. The upstart Lotho Sackville-Baggins aims to bully the local Hobbits, but they’re none too keen on his designs. Explore the Yondershire, our first expansion of the Shire in years! Fun Hobbit adventures for characters level 20 to 23. FREE to VIPs and available in the LOTRO Store! You can get to Yondershire: West out of Little Delving North-west out of Needlehole through Rushock Gate South-east out of Ered Luin past the Falathlorn Homesteads through the Eastway South-west out of Oatbarton through Bullroarer's Sward Quest, explore, and craft your way to level 95 to your heart’s cont...Celebrating 15 Years of The Lord of the Rings Online!Apr 19, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsCelebrate 15 Years of LOTRO! This year we are partying in a big way, with all sorts of giveaways, events, and more. Read on to celebrate with us! The Anniversary Event Returns! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3952956/d5787a608a640fa37070b87cdca5dab9e16c6cb4.jpg Our Anniversary Event starts at the Party Tree, located on The Hill in The Shire (location: 29.9S, 71.5W). When you first log in while the event is active you will also receive a message in Available Quests, which will get you a free map to take you there. Once there, make sure to pick up the wrapper quest “Another Lovely Year” by speaking to Waldo Rumble by the Party Tree! You can read more about the Anniversary Event in our guide. This year we are debuting a new Festivity Instance called “A Flurry of Fireworks!” Help bring about the greatest fireworks display Bree-land has ever seen! Find “A Flurry of Fireworks” in the Seasonal Instances category of the Instance Finder. The Instance Finder can be opened by pressing Shift+F or by navigating to it in the Main Menu. This year's Anniversary Event features a ton of new items to barter and earn! Among the new rewards are cosmetic items, a steed, and war-steed cosmetics “of Crystal Resolve”, a new Golden Crystal Beetle cosmetic pet, new fireworks consumables, a new housing fire pit and fireplace, and the debut of a new pet: the Corgi! Corgis can be bartered for Festivity Tokens, Anniversary Tokens, or Mithril Coins. Some Corgis are hauling a cart while others are running unburdened. Everyone who logs in during the Anniversary Event will receive a free Corgi pet. Anniversary Tokens can be bartered during the event for the following new rewards: Cloak of Crystal Resolve Boots of Crystal Resolve Gloves of Crystal Resolve Helm of Crystal Resolve Pauldrons of Crystal Resolve Chestplate of Crystal Resolve Crystal Resolve Garments - Gift-wrapped selection box Steed of Crystal Resolve - Festival/Mithril Barter Saddlebag of Crystal Resolve Caparison of Crystal Resolve Head-piece of Crystal Resolve Legs of Crystal Resolve Saddle of Crystal Resolve Tail of Crystal Resolve Crystal Resolve War-steed Cosmetics - Mithril Barter Tome of the Golden Crystal Beetle Tome of the Fireworks Corgi - Mithril Barter Fireplace of the Dragon's Hoard Firepit of the Dragon's Hoard Soaring Pinwheel Fireworks - consumable - Steel token barter Flaming Pinwheel Fireworks - consumable - Steel token barter Willow Fireworks - consumable - Steel token barter Enemy Tears Fireworks - consumable - Steel token barter Festivity Tokens can be bartered for the following new items: Anniversary Blue Sparkler Tome of the Tri-colour Corgi Teal Anniversary Fireworks Banner Purple Anniversary Firework Banner Explosive Fireworks Crate Lamp post with Celebratory Yellow Banners Post with Celebratory Teal Streamers Celebratory Red Banner Wall Hanging Celebratory Yellow Long Banner Wall Hanging Teal Ceiling Streamers Green Ceiling Streamers The Anniversary Event begins at 10:00 AM Eastern (-4 GMT) on April 20th,...Read our newest Producer's Letter! March 2022Mar 18, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsA Letter from Producer Raninia – March 2022 Hello again! It’s time to update y’all again on what we have going on. Before I get into that, just a reminder that I’m Raninia, the Producer on The Lord of the Rings: Online, and I plan to continue to write these letters to you on a quarterly basis. You can see my previous letter here. With that preamble out of the way, let’s talk about what’s happening between April and June! Our next big update of 2022 – Update 33 - is expected for late-April, which will kick off our 15th Anniversary celebration, and bring with it a few significant surprises: First, we’re adding a new area: the northern region known as the Yondershire, a sparsely populated region of moor, thicket, and fen that has long been home to Hobbit recluses and troublemakers. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3952956/e27213d1adcd37483b956d015cc78335033a4851.jpg Since the time of Bullroarer Took, the Yondershire has squabbled with the more comfortable parts of the Shire. The upstart Lotho Sackville-Baggins aims to bully the local Hobbits, but they’re none too keen on his designs. Explore the Yondershire, and experience some more delightful Hobbit adventures, our first expansion of the Shire in years! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3952956/206480177508f8111df036b6a780d7c8b947918b.jpg {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3952956/ccc79a77ec9170925b44a7b851071eba9805d35a.jpg Second, we’re bringing back the Anniversary Festival, and we’re adding a whole new festival instance, A Flurry of Fireworks! You’ve been asked to aid with the greatest fireworks display that Bree-land has ever seen. Setting up for the fireworks, things have gotten behind schedule and dusk is fast approaching. You must help keep everyone on task and deliver their fireworks to the proper locations on time! And if you’re looking for a bit more, we’ve got an exciting gift to share with everyone, but we’ll have more info about that when we get closer to our 15th Anniversary. Third, we’re making some updates to VIP. Some of the smaller changes will stay under wraps for now, but I'm excited to inform you that VIP will now include the standard versions of the Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of Three Peaks expansions. You may be wondering, why only those expansions? Well, that brings me to my next announcement. Fourth, and long requested, we’re making some big changes to the LOTRO Store. You’ve seen some of the first changes we made a month ago with the release of Rangers and Ruins, which brought the Premium Wallet, Gold Currency Cap, and Virtue, Race, and Class trait slots for free to all players! Starting with Update 33, we’re making the High Elf race free for all players. Now everyone can play as those who beheld the beauty of Valinor, and play as a Captain, Champion, Guardian, Hunter, Lore-master, Minstrel, Rune-keeper, Warden, or Brawler through all of Middle-earth! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3952956/b2021666187dac127f2fd38b11aa162929cdcf92.jpg That, conveniently enough, brings me to the next change: Rune-keepers, Wardens, and Beorning...Update 32: Rangers and Ruins is now available!Feb 16, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsUpdate 32 Release Notes Here are the Release Notes for Update 32: Rangers and Ruins, released on Wednesday, February 16th, 2022. Of Special Note: The Hiddenhoard of Abnankâra Raid arrives soon! "Beyond the falls of Amgaruslun in the Clovengap lies Abnankâra, the Hiddenhoard. Once an ancient treasury wrought in secret by Mótsog and the Greymauls during their rebellion against the Longbeards in the Elder Days, it has become the lair of Hrímil Frost-heart, a dreaded cold-dragon of Morgoth. Within this frozen retreat, Hrímil tends her wounds and slumbers, dreaming of vengeance upon Prince Durin and the dwarves of the Gabil'akkâ..." The Hiddenhoard of Abnankâra will initially be available to play on both Tier 1 and Tier 2 difficulties, with Tiers 3-5 unlocking in the weeks to come! The raid will open at Noon Eastern (-5 GMT) on Thursday, February 24th, 2022. In addition to three exciting new boss encounters, including the final confrontation between Durin and Hrímil Frost-heart, this raid also features new rewards, a suite of new deeds, and new, time-limited titles for completing Tier 3, Tier 4, and Tier 5! The Hiddenhoard of Abnankâra is available to all players who have purchased Fate of Gundabad and reached Level 140. Talk to Prince Durin at Zidir-nesad, the Steepset in Mount Gundabad to begin the quest to discover the Hiddenhoard! It is recommended, but not required that you complete the tale of The Legacy of Durin and the Trials of the Dwarves before entering the Hiddenhoard of Abnankâra. The Leading the Charge Deed is available to earn until 3:00 AM Eastern (-5 GMT) on April 21st, 2022. Now Available: Erebor Housing! One of Smaug’s last treasure hoards has been opened and the Dwarves of Erebor have moved to reclaim it! Join them in owning a piece of Middle-earth, in the Great Hall under the Mountain. New premium player and kinship housing is now available in Erebor! To learn more and tour the available homes, visit Gárthi Lockwarden in the Broker's Office in Bree as well as within Erebor in Tumnu-dûm, The Dwelling-halls NOTE: Players can own as many personal premium homes as they wish, but Kinships can only own one premium house. Erebor Housing includes: Twelve Base Premium Houses, one Special Base Premium House, six Deluxe Premium Houses, and one Premium Kinship House! A full suite of Town Services and social spaces for you to enjoy with your kinship and neighbors! New exterior music and Ambient Environment hook types to allow you even more customization options for your homes! Swimmable gold coins! Life-sized chess/checker boards Introducing: The Legendary Items Reward Track! The Legendary Items Reward Track is now available to all players starting at level 45! This track can be accessed through the Menu (Character → Reward Track). As you play the game and collect Item XP it'll progress the track throughout the season, and if you get all the way to the end there is a repeatable goal for more rewards! We'll refresh the track every season, and t...A Letter from Producer Raninia – December 2021Dec 16, 2021 - Community AnnouncementsA Letter from Producer Raninia – December 2021 Hello! For those of you who may not know who I am, I’m Raninia, the producer on The Lord of the Rings: Online. Severlin hasn’t gone anywhere, but I’m now picking up the duties of writing these letters and keeping you all abreast of the goings-on with the game. Which brings me to another change being made to these letters –moving forward, these letters will come quarterly, and they’ll cover the next quarter. So today, I’ll be informing you what we’re planning to do from January through the end of March. Next time –which should be around March –I'll give a preview of what’s coming between April through the end of June, and so on. Ok, on to the meaty stuff you’re here for! Our first big update of 2022 – Update 32 - is expected for mid-February, and will begin our celebration of our upcoming 15-year anniversary, and bring with it several things: First, beyond the Falls of Amgaruslun in the Clovengap lies Abnankâra, the Hiddenhoard. Once a grand treasury housing the golden coffers of Durin the Deathless, it has been claimed by Hrímil Frost-heart as her lair within Mount Gundabad. Within this frozen retreat, Hrímil tends her wounds and slumbers, dreaming of vengeance upon Prince Durin and the Dwarves of the Gabil'akkâ. We’re really excited for you all to experience the awesome conclusion of this storyline as we look towards the future. Look forward to seeing this 12-player raid on Bullroarer soon. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3952956/2480b6145017249a64a95f6239a4c25c81af2e78.jpg Second, we’re bringing player housing to Erebor! One of Smaug's last treasure hoards has been opened and the Dwarves of Erebor have moved to reclaim it. Join them in owning a piece of Middle-earth, in the Great Hall under the Mountain! This new premium neighborhood will include 12 Base Premium Houses, 1 Special Base Premium House, 6 Deluxe Premium Houses, and 1 Premium Kinship house, along with a full suite of town services and social spaces for you to enjoy with your kinship and neighbors! In addition to the new neighborhood, Erebor housing introduces new exterior music and dayfile hook types to allow players even more customization options for their homes! We also intend to extend the usage of housing permissions to allow players to make their yards fully private from uninvited guests. Third, and long awaited, is our Legendary Item Reward Track! Each season of the Reward Track is planned to run for three months, and will give rewards based on your play that will help you progress your Legendary Items and a few other goodies as well. After each season, the rewards will refresh and you’ll be able to progress anew. All of your characters on a world will contribute to your reward track progress on that world –that means your main and your alts all help towards earning awesome rewards! Fourth, we’ll also introduce a new area: the Angle of Mitheithel. Stretching south from the Trollshaws to the junction of the Bruinen and Mitheithel rivers is a w...DC Universe Online dev making a Marvel MMONov 27, 2021 - EurogamerThe developer of DC Universe Online is making a Marvel MMO. Dimensional Ink Studios, the latest name for the Austin, Texas branch of Daybreak Game Company, is working on a "Marvel IP based massively multiplayer online game", according to an investor presentation. This investor presentation was published online by parent company Enad Global 7 (EG7), and spotted by Twitter user and Twitch streamer Miller: Read more

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