Lord of the Rings Online

The Lord of the Rings Online is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) set in Tolkien's Middle-Earth, originally developed by Turbine, Inc.

It is available in multiple languages in virtually every country of the world. English, French and German language support is found in the game client for players in North America and Europe. Release and patch notes as well as Forums are also available in those languages.

The game is frequently called "LOTRO" for short and is usually designated as an "MMOG" rather than the longer "MMORPG."

Features

Customizable player characters
8 Free People Races Beorning Dwarf Elf High Elf Hobbit Man River Hobbit Stout-axe	12 Free People Classes Beorning Brawler Burglar Captain Champion Guardian Hunter Lore-master Mariner Minstrel Rune-keeper Warden	10 Crafting Professions Cook Farmer Forester Jeweller Metalsmith Prospector Scholar Tailor Weaponsmith Woodworker	10 Landscape Difficulties Difficulty 0 Difficulty 1 Difficulty 2 Difficulty 3 Difficulty 4 Difficulty 5 Difficulty 6 Difficulty 7 Difficulty 8 Difficulty 9	6 Forces of Angmar (PvMP) Blackarrow Defiler Reaver Stalker Warleader Weaver	7 Blessings (PvMP) The Ongbúrz The Tarkríp The Blogmal The Krahjam The White Hand The Scara-pack Shelob's Brood

The Traits system allows further customization of the character's skills and stats.
In-game trading, mail service and auction system.
Acclaimed Player Music System. Allows one to play music and entertain other players in-game, utilizing the "ABC Music system."

Game launch and history of major releases

	Update Name	Update Date	Expansion Information			New region(s)
Note 01	Shadows of Angmar	April 24 2007		Level 50	(SoA)	The Ered Luin, The Shire, Bree-land, The Lone-lands, The North Downs, The Trollshaws, The Misty Mountains, Angmar, The Ettenmoors
Note 02	Shores of Evendim	June 13 2007				Evendim
Note 03	The City of Kings	August 17 2007				Annúminas
Note 04	Defenders of Eriador	October 25 2007				Tâl Bruinen, The Northern High Pass, The Southern High Pass, Goblin-town (Homesteads: Bree-land, Falathlorn, The Shire, Thorin's Hall)
Note 05	The Ashen Wastes	February 13 2008				The Delving of Frór
Note 06	Doom of the Last-king	April 24 2008				Forochel
Note 07	The Ring-forges of Eregion	July 22 2008				Eregion
Note 08	Mines of Moria	November 18 2008		Level 60	(MoM)	Moria, The Dimrill Dale
Note 09	The Leaves of Lórien	February 27 2009				Lothlórien
Note 10	Scourge of Khazad-dûm	September 10 2009
Note 11	Siege of Mirkwood	December 01 2009		Level 65	(SoM)	Southern Mirkwood
Note 12	The Ride of the Grey Company	July 05 2010				Enedwaith
Update 01	Journey to Winter-home	September 10 2010	Free-To-Play			Frostbluff
Update 02	Echoes of The Dead	March 18 2011
Update 03	Lost Legends of Eriador	May 05 2011
Update 04	Rise of Isengard	September 26 2011		Level 75	(RoI)	Dunland, The Gap of Rohan, Nan Curunír
Update 05	Armies of Isengard	December 12 2011
Update 06	Shores of the Great River	March 12 2012				The Great River
Update 07	Shades of the Past	May 14 2012
Update 08	Riders of Rohan	October 15 2012		Level 85	(RoR)	Eastern Rohan
Update 09	Against the Shadow	December 17 2012
Update 10	Against the Shadow, Part II	March 06 2013
Update 11	Treachery of the White Hand	May 13 2013				Wildermore
Update 12	Helm's Deep	November 20 2013		Level 95	(HD)	Western Rohan
Update 13	The Breaking of Isengard	April 14 2014				The Entwood, Isengard
Update 14	The Paths of the Dead	July 14 2014		Level 100	(PotD)	Western Gondor, The Dead Marshes
Update 15	Gondor Aflame	November 05 2014				Central Gondor
Update 16	Ashes of Osgiliath	May 04 2015				Eastern Gondor, The Sundering of Osgiliath
Update 17	The Siege of Minas Tirith	October 27 2015				Old Anórien, Minas Tirith (Besieged)
Update 18	The Battle of Pelennor Fields	April 12 2016		Level 105	(BoPF)	Far Anórien, The Battle of Pelennor Fields
Update 19	March of the King	October 18 2016				Anórien (After Battle), North Ithilien (Homesteads: The Cape of Belfalas)
Update 20	Battle of the Black Gate	March 21 2017				The Wastes
Update 21	Mordor	August 02 2017		Level 115	(MoDo)	The Plateau of Gorgoroth
Update 22	Legacy of the Necromancer	March 06 2018				Eryn Lasgalen and the Dale-lands, Dol Guldur (After Battle)
Update 23	Where Dragons Dwell	October 09 2018		Level 120	(WDD)	The Iron Hills, The Ered Mithrin and Withered Heath
Update 24	Vales of Anduin	June 04 2019				The Vales of Anduin
Update 25	Minas Morgul	November 05 2019		Level 130	(MiMo)	Mordor (Besieged), The Morgul Vale
Update 26	Mists of Wilderland	April 23 2020				The Wells of Langflood
Update 27	The Great Wedding	June 30 2020				Minas Tirith (Midsummer)
*Update 28*	*War of Three Peaks*	October 20 2020			(WoTP)	Elderslade, Elderslade (Besieged) (Homesteads: Kingstead, Eastfold)
Update 29	Wildwood	March 17 2021				The Wildwood
Update 30	Blood of Azog	June 08 2021				The Dimrill Dale (Besieged)
Update 31	Fate of Gundabad	November 10 2021		Level 140	(FoG)	Mount Gundabad
Update 32	Rangers and Ruins	February 16 2022				The Angle of Mitheithel (Homesteads: Erebor)
Update 33	The Yondershire	April 20 2022				The Yondershire
*Update 34*	*Before the Shadow*	November 15 2022			(BtS)	The Swanfleet, Cardolan
Update 35	Return to Carn Dûm	March 22 2023				Ephel Angren
Update 36	Gondor Renewed	May 31 2023				King's Gondor
Update 37	The Humble Homes of The Holbytlan	August 29 2023				(Homesteads: Lyndelby)
Update 38	Corsairs of Umbar	November 08 2023		Level 150	(CoU)	Dor-en-Ernil, The Ringló Vale, Lamedon, The Blackroot Vale, The Havens of Belfalas, Anfalas, Pinnath Gelin, The Shield Isles, The Cape of Umbar
Update 39	Arenas of Conflict	March 13 2024
Update 40	Beneath the Surface	May 15 2024				Umbar-môkh
Update 41	On the Wing	July 31 2024
Update 42	Legacy of Morgoth	November 06 2024			(LoM)	Ambarûl, Khûd Zagin, Imhûlar, Urash Dâr
Update 43	QoL update	Winter 2025
Update 44		Spring 2025
Update 45		Summer 2025
Update 46		Autumn 2025

see Announced Lands for upcoming updates.

Currently not in the game

Premium Homesteads

Standard Homesteads

20 April 2010 Turbine, Inc. - The game's developer was acquired by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

10 September 2010 - The game became Free-To-Play

15 October 2012 - Introduced the Native Mac Client

16 December 2016 - The game team responsible for The Lord of the Rings Online moved from Turbine, Inc to Standing Stone Games, a newly formed indie game studio.