Lord of the Rings Online finally reaches Mordor in the new expansion

It’s been a decade since Lord of the Rings Online launched, and the long-running MMO is finally about to reach the imposing land of Mordor, home of Sauron and his unfriendly Orc hordes. Mordor will appear in the game’s sixth expansion, simply titled ‘Mordor’, which will launch on July 31.

Along with a substantial batch of new quests, over 300 of them, the expansion will introduce an allegiance system, where you can pledge your allegiance to a faction and help them heal the ash-covered wasteland for special rewards; a crafting and gear update to help you handle Modor’s dangerous denizens; and a new race, the High Elves, with their lovely flowing locks.

Watch a stream of the developers discussing the expansion and future plans below.

Lord of the Rings Online is free to play, but you’ll need to shell out for the expansion. The base pack will set you back $39.99.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.