Expansion
An expansion is a purchasable addition to the existing base game.
In the Lord of the Rings Online, an expansion generally includes the following:
- Level cap increase
- New map(s) with explorable landscape content
- New landscape quests
- Epic story continuation
- New game system(s) or mechanic(s)
- New crafting tier
- New reputation faction(s)
Group content and updates
Originally, expansions also included instances and raids. However, in recent years the trend to release content more gradually emerged, and group content has usually been added in separate updates after the expansion release date. Similarly, new reputation factions, gear, crafting recipes and landscape content has been added at a later date. Regardless, this content can only be accessed after the expansion has been purchased.
Payment model
LOTRO expansions can usually be pre-ordered before release. Pre-ordering allows for earlier access to the expansions. Generally, various pre-order versions are available, of which the more expensive ones offer exclusive rewards. After release, expansions may also be bought with LOTRO Points (formerly Turbine Points).
On April 20, 2022, with the release of Update 33, all expansions and LOTRO Store Quest Packs in order of release 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.
Current expansions
LOTRO currently counts eleven expansions. The following table lists them all, ordered by release date. The first five, Mines of Moria through Helm's Deep, are only "expansions" in the historical sense now, since all of that content has been folded into the base game, and is not purchasable separately.
Items marked with a * indicate a level cap increase.
| Expansion | Release date | Level Range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mines of Moria | November 18, 2008 | 50 to 60 * | Free to Play |
| Siege of Mirkwood | December 1, 2009 | 60 to 65 * | Free to Play |
| Rise of Isengard | September 27, 2011 | 65 to 75 * | Free to Play |
| Riders of Rohan | October 15, 2012 | 75 to 85 * | Free to Play |
| Helm's Deep | November 20, 2013 | 85 to 95 * | Free to Play |
| Mordor | August 2, 2017 | 105 to 115 * | Free to VIP, or purchase |
| Minas Morgul | November 5, 2019 | 120 to 130 * | Free to VIP, or purchase |
| War of Three Peaks | October 20, 2020 | 130 | Free to VIP, or purchase |
| Fate of Gundabad | November 10, 2021 | 130 to 140 * | Purchase |
| Before the Shadow | November 15, 2022 | 1 - 30 | Free to Play - |
| Corsairs of Umbar | November 8, 2023 | 140 to 150 * | Purchase |
| Legacy of Morgoth | November 6, 2024 | 150 | Purchase |
| Kingdoms of Harad | December 3, 2025 | 160 | Purchase |
Note that while expansions typically include a level cap increase, the level cap has also been increased in between expansions:
- On July 14, 2014, the level cap was increased from 95 to 100 with Update 14, The Paths of the Dead.
- On April 12, 2016, the level cap was increased from 100 to 105 with Update 18, The Battle of Pelennor Fields.
- On October 9, 2018, the level cap was increased from 115 to 120 with Update 23, Where Dragons Dwell.
Available Quest Packs
All quest packs released before the Helm's Deep expansion in November 2013 are free to play for everyone. Those released since must be purchased by Free to Play and Premium accounts, but are free for VIP players. (See Account Type for an explanation of the differences.)
Expansions and Quest Packs in Epic storyline
The following table lists all expansions and Quest Packs, sorted by level inside the Epic storyline.
Items marked with a * indicate a level cap increase.
| Epic Book | Name | Level Range | Status | Cost | Update Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 8 | Shadows of Angmar | 1 to 50 * | Free to Play | - | April 24, 2007 |
| 9 | Shores of Evendim | 50 | Free to Play | - | June 12, 2007 |
| 10 | The City of Kings | 50 | Free to Play | - | August 17, 2007 |
| 11 | Defenders of Eriador | 50 | Free to Play | - | October 25, 2007 |
| 12 | The Ashen Wastes | 50 | Free to Play | - | February 13, 2008 |
| 13 | Doom of the Last-king | 50 | Free to Play | - | April 24, 2008 |
| 14 to 15 | The Ring-forges of Eregion | 50 | Free to Play | - | July 22, 2008 |
| Optional | Before the Shadow | 1 to 30 | Free to Play | - | November 15, 2022 |
| Optional | A Little Extra Never Hurts | 5+ | Purchase | 10  |
July 5, 2010 |
| Optional | The Further Adventures of Bilbo Baggins | 20+ | Free to VIP, or purchase | 495 |
April 19, 2021 |
| Optional | The Further Adventures of Elladan and Elrohir | 20+ | Free to VIP, or purchase | 295 |
July 20, 2022 |
| Optional | Yondershire | 20 to 23 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 995 |
April 20, 2022 |
| Optional | Rangers and Ruins | 40 to 45 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 725 |
February 16, 2022 |
| Optional | The Wildwood | 45 to 50 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 1,195 |
March 17, 2021 |
| Epic Book | Name | Level Range | Status | Cost | Update Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | Mines of Moria | 50 to 60 * | Free to Play | - | November 18, 2008 |
| 7 | Leaves of Lórien | 60 | Free to Play | - | February 27, 2009 |
| 8 | Scourge of Khazad-Dûm | 60 | Free to Play | - | September 10, 2009 |
| 9 | Siege of Mirkwood | 60 to 65 * | Free to Play | - | December 1, 2009 |
| Epic Book | Name | Level Range | Status | Cost | Update Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allies of the King | 65 | Free to Play | - | March 1, 2010 |
| 2 | The Ride of the Grey Company | 65 | Free to Play | - | July 5, 2010 |
| 3 | Echoes of The Dead | 65 | Free to Play | - | March 18, 2011 |
| 4 | Rise of Isengard | 65 to 75 * | Free to Play | - | September 26, 2011 |
| 5 | Armies of Isengard | 75 | Free to Play | - | December 12, 2011 |
| 6 to 9 | Riders of Rohan | 75 to 85 * | Free to Play | - | October 15, 2012 |
| 10 | Treachery of the White Hand | 85 | Free to Play | - | May 13, 2013 |
| 11 to 13 | Helm's Deep | 85 to 95 * | Free to Play | - | November 20, 2013 |
| 14 | The Breaking of Isengard | 95 | Free to Play | - | April 14, 2014 |
| Epic Book | Name | Level Range | Status | Cost | Update Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Gondor | 95 to 100 * | Free to VIP, or purchase | 795 |
July 14, 2014 |
| 2 | Central Gondor | 100 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 795 |
November 5, 2014 |
| 3 | East Gondor | 100 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 795 |
May 4, 2015 |
| 4 | Old Anórien | 100 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 795 |
October 27, 2015 |
| 5 to 6 | Far Anórien | 100 to 105 * | Free to VIP, or purchase | 1,995 |
April 12, 2016 |
| 7 | March of the King | 105 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 795 |
October 18, 2016 |
| 8 to 9 | Battle of the Black Gate | 105 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 795 |
March 21, 2017 |
| Epic Book | Name | Level Range | Status | Cost | Update Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Great Wedding | 105 | Free to Play | - | June 30, 2020 |
| Epic Chapter | Name | Level Range | Status | Cost | Update Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Mordor | 105 to 115 * | Free to VIP, or purchase | $19.99 or 2,495 |
August 2, 2017 |
| 5 to 6 | Legacy of the Necromancer | 115 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 795 |
March 6, 2018 |
| 7 to 8 | Where Dragons Dwell | 115 to 120 * | Free to VIP, or purchase | 1,995 |
October 9, 2018 |
| 9 to 10 | The Vales of Anduin | 120 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 1,495 |
June 4, 2019 |
| 11 to 14 | Minas Morgul | 120 to 130 * | Free to VIP, or purchase | $39.99 or 2,495 |
November 5, 2019 |
| Epic Chapter | Name | Level Range | Status | Cost | Update Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Mists of Wilderland | 130 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 1,295 |
April 23, 2020 |
| 3 to 4 | War of Three Peaks | 130 | Free to VIP, or purchase | $19.99 or 1,995 |
October 20, 2020 |
| Interlude | Blood of Azog | 130 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 1,695 |
June 8, 2021 |
| 5 to 11 | Fate of Gundabad | 130 to 140 * | Purchase | $39.99 or 2,995 |
November 10, 2021 |
| Optional | Return to Carn Dûm | 140 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 1,495 |
March 22, 2023 |
| Epic Chapter | Name | Level Range | Status | Cost | Update Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gondor Renewed | 140 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 995 |
May 31, 2023 |
| 2 to 8 | Corsairs of Umbar | 140 to 150 * | Purchase | $39.99 or 2,995 |
November 8, 2023 |
| 9 | Beneath the Surface | 150 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 1,095 |
May 15, 2024 |
| 10 to 13 | Legacy of Morgoth | 150 | Purchase | $39.99 or 2,995 |
November 6, 2024 |
| Optional | Crown of Hamât | 150 | Free to VIP, or purchase | 895 |
April 23, 2025 |
| 14 to 18 | Kingdoms of Harad | 150 to 160 * | Purchase | $39.99 | December 3, 2025 |
Gallery
This gallery shows the official logo for each expansion.
-
Mines of Moria -
Siege of Mirkwood -
Rise of Isengard -
Riders of Rohan -
Helm's Deep -
Mordor -
Minas Morgul -
War of Three Peaks -
Fate of Gundabad -
Before the Shadow -
Corsairs of Umbar -
Legacy of Morgoth -
Kingdoms of Harad
Links
- Ten years of LOTRO: A History of Virtual Middle-earth Ravalation, on 8 May 2017.
- Lotro legendarium: A trip back through LOTRO's expansions Massively OP, on 19 August 2017.
| Expansions
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Major Expansions: Shadows of Angmar (2007) • 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) • Corsairs of Umbar (2023) • Legacy of Morgoth (2024) • Kingdoms of Harad (2025) Minor Expansions: War of Three Peaks (2020) • Before the Shadow (2022) |