The Lord of the Rings Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows and previously for OS X, set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, taking place during the time period of The Lord of the Rings. Originally developed by Turbine, the game launched in North America, Australia, Japan, and Europe in April 2007 as The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. Players could create characters of four races and seven classes and adventure throughout the region of Eriador. In November 2008, the Mines of Moria expansion was released, adding the region of Moria and two new playable classes. It was followed by the Siege of Mirkwood in December 2009. In 2010, the game underwent a shift from its original subscription-based payment model to being free-to-play.
The game saw continued development, alternating between paid expansions and free updates, which added new content in the regions of Isengard, Rohan and Gondor. In late 2016 the publishing of the game was transferred from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to Daybreak Game Company, with development being taken over by Standing Stone Games, made up of former Turbine staff. The game development continued and in 2017 the Mordor expansion was released, bringing the main storyline to a close. The game then shifted to portraying the aftermath of the downfall of Sauron as well as telling the "Tales of Yore" which chronologically precede the main story, with further expansions in Minas Morgul, Gundabad, and Umbar.
Gameplay Similar to other MMORPGs, players control a character avatar within the gameworld, interact with objects, NPCs and other players. Characters gain levels by earning experience points, acquiring both new skills and trait points, which can be assigned in various configurations to customize personal playstyle. Players traverse the game world either on foot, using personal mounts or via instantaneous travel options. Players improve their characters by upgrading their equipment and can customize their look with the Cosmetic System, which can display armour and weapons other than those used for combat effectiveness. Characters also earn Reputation with various factions in the world, completing progressive tiers which unlock various rewards, from cosmetic pets and outfits to superior quality weapons and armour.
The crafting system allows each character to master up to four professions, which are separated into gathering of raw materials and actual crafting of usable items. Per the characterization of Hobbits in Tolkien's writings, significant emphasis is placed on cooking and agricultural farming. Characters have a Wallet for various currencies, with gold, silver and copper coins earned from most game activities and used for various common purchases. Many world regions, group instances and seasonal festivals feature their own unique currencies, which can neither be earned nor spent outside them. The in-game store uses LOTRO points, which can be both purchased with real money and earned in-game. Players can own personal houses, which can be decorated and provide access to facilities and additional storage space. Four themed neighbourhoods that are free for all are located in the original starter zones for Men, Dwarves, Elves and Hobbits. More neighbourhoods with larger houses and more decorating options are purchased via microtransaction and located in Gondor, Rohan, Erebor and Rivendell.
Subsequent updates and expansions introduced other systems to the game. Mines of Moria added Legendary items, intended to stay with the player throughout the game as opposed to being constantly replaced with better options. Each characters has one class-specific legendary weapon and one supplementary item, which increase in power alongside the character's level and can be enhanced with additional modifiers that affect the character's stats or skill behaviour. Riders of Rohan introduced mounted combat, with new rohirric war-steeds that allow players to execute attacks and other skills while on horseback. War-steeds have stats like those of player characters and can be customized by selecting different types of war-steeds, investing in different trait lines and switching between different mounted stances. Players can customize the look of their war-steeds by mix-and-matching various appearance traits. Gondor introduced essence gear with empty slots that can be enhanced with desired stats, allowing players to further customize armour to their playstyle.
Classes and races Lord of the Rings Online launched with four playable races: Dwarves, Elves, Hobbits and Men. New races added post-launch were Beornings in 2014 (although only for the new class of the same name), High Elves in 2017, "Stout-Axe" Dwarves in 2019 (allowing players to choose the gender unlike the original Dwarven race which only allows male characters), and River-Hobbits (Smeagol's folk) in 2023.
The original seven character classes in the game are Burglar, Captain, Champion, Guardian, Hunter, Lore-master and Minstrel. Mines of Moria added two more classes: Rune-Keeper and Warden. A Beorning class was added in a regular update in November 2014, followed by the Brawler in 2021 Fate of Gundabad expansion and Mariner in 2023 Corsairs of Umbar expansion. All classes can further specialize in one of three trait lines that further determine their skills and combat role. In addition to Class traits, Racial and Virtue traits can also be allocated to further modify class performance.
Group Instances Players can form groups of up to six characters in "fellowships", which can be further combined into "raids" of up to four fellowships. Fellowships are required to complete various group instances, which come in several distinct variations. A typical "instance" alternates between groups of strong enemies and boss encounters with special mechanics that provide a chest of rewards upon defeat. "Raids" are similar to instances but feature "raid locks", allowing progress of a difficult raid to be tracked across multiple game sessions. "Skirmishes" introduced with the Siege of Mirkwood expansion feature both enemy groups of random composition and randomized "Skirmish Lieutenant" encounters across the instance. "Epic Battles" introduced with the Helm's Deep expansion represent large-scale battles, in which friendly NPCs engage the enemy alongside the player characters, whose focus lies on supporting their allies and completing specific objectives as opposed to simply defeating all enemies. Many group instances can be played on different group sizes, levels and tiers of difficulty for progressively higher rewards.
World Expansion Timeline Year Regions Added 2007 Ered Luin · Shire · Bree-land · Lone-lands · North Downs · Trollshaws · Misty Mountains · Angmar · Evendim 2008 Forochel · Eregion · Moria · Lothlórien 2009 Southern Mirkwood (Dol Guldur) 2010 Enedwaith 2011 Dunland · Gap of Rohan · Isengard 2012 Great River · East Rohan 2013 West Rohan 2014 Fangorn Forest · Paths of the Dead · Gondor (Dol Amroth to Pelargir) · Dead Marshes 2015 Gondor (Pelargir to Osgiliath) · South Ithilien 2016 Druadan Forest · North Ithilien 2017 Dagorlad · Mordor (Plateau of Gorgoroth) 2018 Northern Mirkwood · Iron Hills · Ered Mithrin 2019 Vales of Anduin · Minas Morgul 2020 Wells of Anduin · Elderslade 2021 Wildwood of Bree-land · Gundabad 2022 Angle of Mitheithel · Swanfleet · Cardolan 2023 Anfalas · Pinnath Gelin · Cape of Umbar 2024 Valley of River Ikorban (Northern Near Harad) 2025 Ridge of Mûr Ghala (Southern Near Harad) Game World The game is set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, its license does not cover rights to any other works in Tolkien's legendarium, such as The Silmarillion. The game features a day–night cycle and various atmospheric and weather effects, which differ from day to day. The world is divided into five landmasses of Eriador, Rhovanion, Gondor, Mordor, and Haradwaith. Each landmass is then divided further into distinct "Regions", which are then further sub-divided into "Areas". Each region contains NPCs and quests intended for a certain character level range, with the main Epic storyline serving as a guide between the areas of a region and regions of the world in the intended order. Each Region is "fixed" at a specific time period during the War of the Ring despite the passage of time in the main story; because of this, characters such as Gandalf or Aragorn can appear at multiple places simultaneously if those places are set during different portions of the story. Some locations are permanently accessible in more than one state: for example, players can freely move from Isengard flooded by the Ents to Isengard at the height of Saruman's power, and from Minas Tirith's rebuilding after the battle of the Pelennor Fields to Minas Tirith before the battle, with the enemy still beyond the walls.
Player vs Monster Player Classic PvP combat found in many other games does not exist in The Lord of the Rings Online. Instead, Player vs Monster Player (also known as PvMP or Monster Player) – this reference is historical only. allows players to create "Monster player" characters and engage Free People in combat in special secluded areas.
Monster player classes are Orc Reaver, Orc Defiler, Spider Weaver, Uruk Blackarrow, Uruk Warleader and Warg Stalker. Monster player characters are fixed in level and advance by gaining Infamy Ranks for killing Free People characters instead. Monster players can not equip items, but can use consumable buffs and can be customized with various appearance traits. They can form a groups or "Warbands" but are unable to leave the confines of the PvMP area. Originally, the only PvMP area was the Ettenmoors, where Free Players could travel and battle Monster players for control over the five keeps and minor outposts. In July 2015, a second PvMP area was added in the ruins of Osgiliath, though it was disabled in 2021.
Plot The main or "Epic" storyline is told across "Volumes", which are released in "Books" consisting of a series of quests called "Chapters".
Volume I: Shadows of Angmar The first Epic Volume starts shortly after Frodo and his friends have left the Shire. The player arrive at Bree, where they become acquainted with Aragorn and Gandalf and get involved in the larger affairs of Middle-Earth. After initially following in the footsteps of Aragorn and the Hobbits to Weathertop and the Trollshaws, the player soon gets involved into a campaign against the resurgent Kingdom of Angmar. Mordirith, Steward of The Witch-king of Angmar, is driven away from Carn Dûm, prompting Sauron's other servants - Amarthiel and Mordrambor - to vie for his position. Amarthiel, a former elf-smith of Eregion, once wielded a minor Ring of Power of her own, which she finds and reclaims despite the player's efforts. Mordrambor betrays Amarthiel to Mordirith and kills her father Laerdan to mock her. However the grief allows Narmeleth, Amarthiel's original personality to resurface. To avenge her father, Narmeleth leads the player into the fortress of the enemy by secret ways, killing Mordrambor and destroying the Ring that controlled her along the way. She drives Mordirith away once again at the cost of her life, her redemption earning her peace in the Undying Lands.
Volume II: Mines of Moria