Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO)has faithfully recreated J.R.R. Tolkien’s world of Middle-Earth for more than a decade. Somehow the developers behind the MMORPG have continued to expand the game, whichwent free-to-play back in 2010.
RELATED:Top 5 ‘Lord of the Rings’ Video Games
Now, with the game fast approaching its 15th Anniversary celebrations, Update 33 promises to revolutionize the game by making loads of what was previously paid-for DLC free to any player, new or old. Everything from playable races to entire regions of Middle-Earth is on the table, making Update 33 one of the best times for new players to get involved inLOTRO. Let’s unpack all the great new (and old) content arriving in late-April 2022.
715th Anniversary Festival
It wouldn’t beLOTROwithout an anniversary festival. Just like the seasonal festivals players have always gotten, anniversary festivals celebrate the game’s continued success with loads of cosmetic items, whacky activities, and new temporary quests and deeds, which can earn players rare titles.
BecauseLOTROhas so many different systems built into the game — from horse riding to fishing and even pipeweed smoking — festivals always pack in something for everyone. If crafting is your thing, new recipes or ingredients are usually up for grabs, too. After all, this is the same game where a playerhit max level just by baking piesat home in the Shire. In a producer letter, developer Raninia also states thata special, secret reward for all playersis in the works — but we’ll just have to wait to learn more.
6New Festival Instance: “Flurry of Fireworks”
Introduced a few years ago, festival instances combine the social element ofLOTRO’s festivals with the story-driven action of instances (dungeons). In the past, players have received daily awards for completing festival instances, as well as for completing deeds (challenges) while the festival is active.
The 15th Anniversary Festival promises to immerse players in a new story: to create the best fireworks display ever — perhaps even better than those offireworks enthusiast Gandalf the Grey. Set in the grassy fields of Bree-land, Flurry of Fireworks sees players assisting festival workers who are running behind schedule. While the setting seems innocuous on the surface, developers Standing Stone Games have previously managed to work combat into even innocent stories like this one.
5Free Race: The High Elf
Like many MMORPGs,LOTROfeatures a variety of classes, each with their own abilities. However, certain classes can only be accessed by certain races. For the longest time, the Captain class was only accessible to the Human race, but the introduction of the High Elf race allows players to appear visually like an Elf while getting all the class benefits of playing as a Human.
RELATED:Biggest Open World MMORPGs (From Smallest to Largest)
Prior to Update 33, the High Elf was locked behind a paywall, but the race will unlock to all players as soon as the update launches in late April 2022.
4Free Classes: Rune-Keeper, Warden, & Beorning
Players aren’t just getting a free race with Update 33 — they’re also getting three previously paywalled classes. Players will be able to harness the arcane arts as a Rune-Keeper, defend the innocent with a shield and javelin as a Warden, or embrace nature as a Beorning (a human-like entity who can transform into a giant bear).
The Rune-Keeper and Warden have been in the game since theMines of Moriaexpansion in 2008, so releasing them to the general public is a huge change for the MMO. Wardens are notoriously difficult to master, but those who learn to chain their special gambit attacks together are capable of incredible feats. After Update 33,the game’s newest class — the Brawler— will be the only paid-for class upgrade.
3For VIP Subscribers, New Expansions Unlock For Free
Normally costing anywhere from $20 to $40, these expansions are nothing to scoff at. Players can expect to find hundreds of new quests, tons of end-game dungeons, and new crafting opportunities.War of the Three Peaksonly released in October 2020 and tells the story of a group of Dwarves fighting against the Orcs of Mount Gundabad, one of the manyMiddle-Earth locations only found in video games. TheMordorandMinas Morgulexpansions, as the names suggest, introduce players to the Land of Shadow, taking players from the Fortress of the Nazgul to the Black Gates and Mount Doom.
2New Region: Yondershire
The team at Standing Stone Games has been on a roll lately with free content updates. In the last couple of years, all players have been able to travel to new regions like Wildermore and Bree-land’s mini-region The Wildwood. Yondershire follows up on the success of The Wildwood, which developed an unused parcel of land between Bree-land and the Shire into a brand-new mid-level questing hub.
RELATED:Lord of the Rings Online Players Organize Memorial For Bilbo Baggins Actor Ian Holm
Yondershire can be found to the north of the Shire. According toLOTRO’s producer Raninia, Yondershire is a boggy, forested area home to those Hobbits who shun the conventions and civilization of the Shire. Developer screenshots of the area reveal a Shire with a wild side: the familiar Hobbit holes players have come to know and love are still present but are now found in the far-off boondocks of Middle-Earth. Hobbits living abroad aren’t anything new forLord of the Rings. After all,different kinds of Hobbits can be found all over Middle-Earth.
1All Content Up To Level 95 Is Now Free
Perhaps the most significant change inLOTRO’s history, following the release of Update 33 all content up to level 95 will become free forever to any player new or old. This includes all quest packs, regions, instances, raids, and expansions released between the game’s launch in 2007 and theHelm’s Deepexpansion in 2013. For reference,the size ofLOTRO’s game worlddoubled in size from launch up untilHelm’s Deep, with dozens of dungeons and raids releasing in the meantime.
Although some players who previously paid for this content may feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick, opening up all this content to free-to-play players is actually great for the game’s continued success. Rather than fracturing the community into smaller parcels, the developers are making it easier for players to find teammates for higher-level content.
Increased access to high-level DLC increases the pool of players searching for a group, bringing down wait times. Time will tell how effective this change actually is, but for a game as old asLOTRO, it’s important to adapt, lest its history fades into legend, and legend into myth.
