Hey, do you like free stuff? Lord of the Rings Online’s March 2022 producer letter has arrived, and it’s promising tons of free stuff in Update 33.
Essentially, Standing Stone Games has announced a major monetization revitalization for the long-running Middle-earth MMORPG. The company is making pretty much all content – quests, areas, instances, and expansions – from Helm’s Deep and earlier completely free. That includes Rune-keepers, Wardens, Beornings, and High Elves, too. Subscribers will have access to the standard versions of Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of the Three Peaks as part of VIP package as well.
“VIP will now include the standard versions of the Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of Three Peaks expansions,” the studio says. “With this update, all quests, areas, instances, and expansions released between the original launch of LOTRO back in 2007 and up to – and including! – the release of Helm’s Deep will be available for free to everyone. Quest, explore, and craft your way to level 95 to your heart’s content!”
In other words, if you’re subbed to LOTRO, you’ll have immediate access to literally everything except Fate of Gundabad, the most recent paid expansion; non-subbers will have to buy only the last three expansions (and War of Three Peaks, if they choose) to have full run of the game. (Though we’re a little foggy on which side of the line Gondor falls on right now.) With this one move, SSG has effectively addressed the biggest complaint looming over the game for years.
As for new content, the studio is promising update 33 in late April, alongside the 15th anniversary events; in addition to the above-mentioned monetization changes, update 33 will include a new Hobbit-themed region called Yondershire, while the anniversary festival includes a new instance and new gifts.
“During this time, we’ll be making progress on our Legendary World of Anor, bringing players there to Isildur’s desecrated fortress city of Minas Morgul, and level cap 130, on April 13th. Less than a month later, on May 4th, Shadowfax will progress to the fabled stronghold of Rohan, Helm’s Deep, and its level cap of 95, which will now be accessible to any VIP at no added cost! And finally, at the end of June Treebeard and Shadowfax will both be making further steps. On June 29th, Treebeard will make its second jump, entering the dangerous forests of the Mirkwood, and Shadowfax will continue marching forward to the half-ruined lands of Gondor and Old Anorien. Besides all that, we’ll continue with our ongoing work to improve performance and lag, keep adjusting class balance, continue bug-fixing, further refining the new Legendary Item system, and bring Season 2 of the Legendary Item Reward Track. All these improvements will arrive with about every patch.”
Yondershire, incidentally, is a “sparsely populated region of moor, thicket, and fen that has long been home to Hobbit recluses and troublemakers.” SSG’s pitch: “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!”
FAQs
On April 20, 2022, with the release of Update 33, all expansions and LOTRO Store Quest Packs up to and including Helm's Deep were made free to all players. Additionally, the Standard Editions of the Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of Three Peaks expansions were made free for VIPs.
What zones are free in LOTRO? ›
All landscape areas in The Lord of the Rings Online are open to free players. While free players can explore and kill monsters in these areas they cannot complete the side quests contained there without first purchasing the LOTRO Store Quest Packs (or Expansions) for those areas. All Epic Quests are free.
How much content is free in LOTRO? ›
Quests up to level 95 are free, but they will need to spend money if they want to take on higher-level quests. The level cap is still unrestricted, so free players can reach level 140, which is the current max level, attainable by baking pies in LOTRO.
How far can you play LOTRO for free? ›
You are free to play to lvl 95 which includes all xpacks and quest packs up to that level. VIP gets you to 120. I think in order to use Swift Travel you need 1 month VIP. Every character created needs VIP for that, so if you create more characters this year, repeat.
Are LOTRO expansions free? ›
Expansions up as far as Mordor are included free of charge now for all players. Mordor and onward, still need to be purchased. No, buying the latest expansion does not automatically include the others that you may, or may not need.
How do you get all the LOTRO expansions? ›
Expansions can be unlocked with real money (preferably when they are on sale) or using LOTRO Points. Note: LOTRO Point price is always higher than if you were buying with real money. Important: Expansions are NOT unlocked by a subscription.
What is the most populated LOTRO server? ›
you will be playing nights and evenings so your best bet in terms of population is Arkenstone, followed by Crickhollow/Gladden.
What is the most populated LOTRO server in the EU? ›
Most populated European server is Evernight. There is also Laurelin which is more RP server but it also have people that are mostly from Europe.
Which server is best for LOTRO? ›
Generally speaking, players in North or South America should pick one of the servers marked with "US", and players in Europe, Africa or the Middle East should pick a server that is marked with "EU". - Evernight is the busiest server marked as EU, and Arkenstone is the busiest server marked as US.
How many active players does LOTRO have? ›
The Lord of the Rings Online
| Month | Avg. Players | Peak Players |
|---|
| Last 30 Days | 680.4 | 1,428 |
| March 2024 | 706.0 | 1,371 |
| February 2024 | 706.8 | 1,337 |
| January 2024 | 787.1 | 1,564 |
94 more rowsThere have been many expansions to the original game, including: Mines of Moria (2008), Siege of Mirkwood (2009), Rise of Isengard (2011), Riders of Rohan (2012), Helm's Deep (2013) Mordor (2017), Minas Morgul (2019), Fate of Gundabad (2021) and Before the Shadow (2022) with regular updates, adjustments, and "mini- ...
Is LOTRO still pay to win? ›
No it's not "Pay to Win". The Lord of the Rings Online has nothing "to win". There is "Pay for Convenience" where one can use Money and then LOTRO Points that also can go into other In-Game Currencies to achieve certain things. In-Game Currency can also be gained by everyone through doing Deeds.
How solo friendly is LOTRO? ›
LOTRO is a game designed to offer a variety of play experiences, and soloing is very viable for all of the Classes. It is not necessary to choose a particular class to solo effectively, although some classes are more enjoyable to solo with than others.
Can you get married in LOTRO? ›
The player family system is finished. The reason you can't marry in game (except an RP wedding) is who gets to marry whom.
What is the max level in LOTRO? ›
The current maximum level, or "level cap", on non-legendary servers is 150. The level cap has not always been the same, and for legendary servers, will advance at different rates. For a history of level cap changes on non-legendary servers, see Expansion.
How do you redeem LOTRO codes? ›
Click on the MY ACCOUNT button at the top of the LOTRO Store page, and located the REDEEM POINTS CARD box. Select LOTRO Game Card. Scratch off the strip that can be found on the lower portion of your card and enter code in the box. Click REDEEM NOW.
Where do I redeem my LOTRO code? ›
Sometimes there are special offers and free coupons for the LOTRO Store, and you can redeem these codes in the “Redeem Code” section of the Store! Find it in the lower left corner of the Store, enter the code and click the “present” button to redeem. Keep in mind that coupons are case sensitive.
How do you get legendary LOTRO? ›
How do I get a Legendary Item or Weapon? You will receive your first Legendary Weapon and Item around level 50 when you run through the Mines of Moria; alternatively, you can purchase Legendary Items with Ancient Script that you will receive throughout the game.
